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THE 


SONG   OF   SONGS 


WITH    A 


COMMENTARY,  NOTES, 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2011  with  funding  from 
Duke  University  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/songofsongswhich01will 


THE 


SONGOF  SONGS, 


WHICH  IS  BY 


s 

KJ 


A  NEW  TRANSLATION: 


A  COMMENTARY  AND  NOTES, 


BY  T.  WILLIAMS, 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  AGE  OF  INFIDELITY,  (Jfc. 


I Prociil,  O  procul  cste  profani ! 

VlRGIL. 

^ Far  hence  be  souU  profane  ! 

DRYDEK. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

TRINTED  BY  WILLIAM  W.  WOODWARD, 

M°.  52,  gouth  Second,  corner  of  Chesnut-strcet. 
1803. 


^v"^ 


D-nSP-OSE 


PREFACE. 


THE  folloiaing  luork  originated  ifi  a  serious 
enquiry^  'whether  this  book  be  a  genuine  part  of 
the  holy  scriptures  ;  and  if  so^  hoiv  it  should  be 
explained^   that  it  may  become  *  profitable  for 

*  doctrine,  for  reproof   for  correction,   for  in- 

*  structioti  in  righteousness."*  The  process  atid 
result  of  these  enquiries  are  fiow  before  the  public^ 
toho  ivill  Judge  of  the  evidence  ijohich  fully  satis- 
fied the  author.  To  those  who  ha've  never  doubted, 
such  a  chain  of  argumentation  may  appear  un- 
necessary ;  and  to  others  who  read  only  for  pious 
improuemc7it  and  refiection  the  discussion  may 
appear  dry  and  uninteresting.  Such  should  re- 
collect, howeiier,  that  some  attention  is  due,  both 
to  the  scruples  of  their  brethren,  and  to  the  ob- 
jections of  unbelie'oers :  that  the  temple  of  gospel 
truth,  like  that  of  old,  has  its  steps,  which  must 
be  gradually  ascended,  before  we  can  behold  its 
higher  mysteries. 

The  account  given  in  the  Introductory  Essay, 
of  the  plan  and  hypothesis  I  have  adopted,  makes 
it  unnecessary  to  detail  them  in  this  place.  The 
poem  is  divided  into  secticr/is,  allotting  two  ta 
each  of  the  seven  days  of  the  marriage  festival^ , 
cojumejicing  the  morning  after  the  celebration; 

*  See  page  73. 


*REFACS. 

though  1  must  confess  myself  far  from  sanguifif 
in  the  propriety  of  these  divisions^  chiefly  from 
not  kno'Viing  how  to  dispose  of  the  Sabbath^  luhicb 
must  haiic  ■  been  one  day  in  the  seiyen^  though  it 
is  doubtful  which  should  be  assigned  to  it. 

In  elucidating  the  poetical  imagery  I  hai^e 
made  considerable  use  of  the  eastern  writers^ 
a'vailing  myself  of  the  learned  researches  of  Sir 
W.  Jone!d,  a7id  others.  In  the  latter  part  of 
the  work  I  have  also  adopted  some  ideas^  cind 
controverted  others^  of  the  Editor  of  Calmet, 
i^hose  translation  appeared  before  several  of  my 
last  sheets  were  printed  of^. 

Two  things  in  this  undertaking  may  seem  t9 
require  apology^  the  boldness  of  the  attempt^  and 
the  length  of  time  it  has  been  in  hand :  but  these 
circumstances  counterpoise  each  other,-  arid  the 
former  will  be  a  sufficient  excuse  for  the  lat- 
ter^  especially  to  those  acquainted  with  the  au- 
thor''s  other  avocations.  The  voork  is  at  length 
before  the  public  with  all  its  imperfections.  If 
the  reader  will  throw  a  mantle  of  candour  over 
them,  I  hope  he  will  find  many  things  to  assist 
his  enquiries^  and  to  lead  his  contemplations  to 
that  object  which  alone  claims  unqualified  admi- 
ration  '   THE   ALTOGETHER  LOVKLY.' 


COMTEMTS, 


Essay    I.  v_y^  ^^^^  origin  of  language,  Jtc.  particularly  of  figurative 
language  and  allegory  ;  and  of  the  Hebrew  pocti}'  and 

music 9 

Sect.    I.  Of  the  origin  of  language,  metaphors,  &c 10 

II.  The  origin  of  poetry,  and  nature  of  Hebrew  poetry     ....  28 

III.  The  Hebrew  music  and  recitation      25 

Essay    II.  On  the  nature,  design,  and  and  authority  of  Solomon's  Song  ."^2 

Sect.    I.  Its  author — Solomon      ib. 

II.  Its  occasion,  his  marriage  with  Pharaoh's  daughter     ....  62 

III.  Its  nature — a  sacred  dramatic  allegory     68 

IV.  Its  imagery  vindicated •  .  .  .  74 

V.  Its  mystical  sense     . 83 

VI.  Its  inspiration     103 

VII.  Former  commentators,  with  the  plan  of  the  following  work  108 

The  New  Translai  ion      129 

The  Commentary  with  Notes l-i^ 

Section  I.  Chap.  I.  ver.  2 — 4      155 

5,      6     ; • 164 

7,      8      .• 172 

11 9—11      180 

12—14 .  188 

, III.     ......  15—17     193 

Ch.  II.     1 —  3 204 

4 — 6      • 212 

7 218 

— *—        IV.     ...,-.     8,      9      222 

10—13      '. 225 

14             232 

15             , 236 

16,     17     240 

V.          Ch.  III.  2—5 246 

VI 6—11       252 

VII.           Ch.  IV.  1 —  6       264 

VIII 7,      8      272 

9—11 274 

12-15       277 

Ch.  IV.  16— V.  1                283 

— ^        IX.           Ch.  V.  2 — 8       288 

9 — 16      2'-J3 

Ch.  VI.  1 —  3       504 

X 4—9       305 

11—13       316 

2?I.          Ch.  VII.  1 — 9       379 

. XII 11—13       332 

Ch.  VIII.  1 —  4       335 

XIII 5—7 340 

'^ —  7-iy 8—10    345 

n~H    349 


introductory  Essays. 


£SSAY  I. 


ON   TUE 


ORIGIK  OF  LAjfGUAGEi 


PARTICULARLY   OF 


HGURATIVE  LANGUAGE  AND  ALLEGORY: 


AND   OF   THE 


HEBREW  POETRY  AND  MUSIC. 

MANY  learned  men  have  complained  of  the 
poverty  of  the  Hebrew  language,  occa- 
sioned by  the  paucity  of  its  primitive  words,  or 
roots:  from  this,  however,  arises  the  frequent 
Use  of  figurative  terms,  one  of  the  chief  beauties 
of  language,  and  an  essential  (perhaps  the  most 
essential)  ingredient  of  poetic  composition. — The 
discussion  of  this  subje6l,  therefore,  naturally  car- 
ries us  back  to  the  origin  of  language,  and  of  me- 
taphorical expression. 

B 


(     10     ) 
SECTION  I. 

OF  THE  ORIGIN  OF  LANGUAGE,  8cc. 

THE  origin  of  language  is  a  problem  which 
has  exercised  the  greatest  wits  and  the  ablest  scho- 
lars; and,  perhaps,  no  one  has  solved  it  better 
than  our  justly  celebrated  Milton,  who  makes 
the  father  of  mankind  thus  express  himself,  on 
his  first  sensation  of  existence: 

— — '  To  speak  I  try'd,  and  forthwith  fpake, 
'  My  tongue  obey'd  and  readily  could  name 
*  Whate'er  I  saw^. 

This  supposes  that  Adam  received  the  rudi- 
ments of  language  at  the  same  time  with  his  per- 
ceptions and  understanding,  and  from  the  same 
hand  - .  I  say  the  rudiments  of  language^  because 
I  conceive  our  first  parent  was  not  formed  for 
idleness,  but  for  exertion  and  improvement:  to 
cultivate,  not  only  his  garden,  but  his  mind;  and 
to  enlarge  and  improve,  by  rcfie^lion  and  experi- 
ment, every  branch  of  knowledge  with  which  he 

*  Par.  Lost,  Book  viii. 

•  The  learned  Dr.  Leland  a;^rees  perfec\ly  with  this  idea: 
'  From  the  account  given  by  Moses  of  the  primeval  state  of 
man,  it  appears  that  he  vi^as  not  left  to  acquire  ideas  in  the 
ordinary  way,  which  would  have  been  too  tedious  and  sIoav 
as  he  was  circumstanced  ;  but  Avas  at  once  furnished  vtith  the 
knowledge  which  was  thtn  necessary  for  him.  He  was  im- 
mediately endued  with  the  gift  of  language.,  which  necessarily 
supposes,  that  he  was  furnished  ^vith  a  stock  of  ideas,  a  spe- 
cimen of  which  he  gave  in  giving  names  to  the  inferior 
animals,  which  were  brought  before  him,  for  that  pur- 
pose.'— Advan.  and  Necess.  of  the  Chrisiien  Rcjclatioriy 
rol.  II.  b.  ii.  ch.  2. 


(  11  ) 

was  originally  endowed,  and,  among  others,  that 
of  language. 

That  the  first  principles  of  language  were  few 
and  simple,  will  be  readily  admitted.  It  is  proba- 
ble that  the  primitive  words  were  all  monosylla- 
bles %  each  at  first  expressing  one  simple  idea*; 
but  afterwards  compounded  into  various  gram- 
matical forms,  and  their  meaning  enlarged  and  va- 
ried by  their  application  to  different  objects. 

»  Shuckford's  Conriea.  vol.  1.  p.  119,  20.  2d.  ed. 

'  An  ingenious  French  writer  (Mons.  Bergier)  some  year* 
since  planned  a  Dictionary  of  the  Elements  of  Language^  by 
which  he  means  those  simple  monosyllables  of  which  the 
primitive  language  consisted,  and  from  which  all  languages 
are  formed.  He  supposes  these  primitive  roots  might  not  be 
more  than  two  hundred,  and  from  the  specimen  given  in  one 
(viz.  SN,  ab,  eb,  ib,  ob,  ub)  these  seem  abundantly  sufficient. 
See  Mon.  Rev.  1764,  p.  504,  &c. — The  Chinese  language 
is  at  present  in  this  state,  Containing  between  three  and 
four  hundred  primitive  monosyllables,  which  are  varied  by 
accent  and  pronunciation,  as  I  am  informed,  to  the  number 
of  about  eighty  thousand,  even  without  the  variety  result- 
ing in  other  languages  from  declensions  and  conjuga- 
tions, &c.  Mr.  Blacktvell  thinks  the  Egyptian  and  most  of 
the  northern  tongues  were  also  composed  at  first  of  mono- 
syllables (Enq.  into  the  life,  Sec.  of  Homer,  p.  41.  n.)  That 
this  was  the  case  with  the  Hebrew  I  cannot  doubt.  The 
primitive  roots  were,  I  conceive,  at  first  formed  of  two  radi- 
cals only,  as  ax,  TK,  Sec.  to  thefe,  in  the  further  improvement 
of  the  language,  I  suppose  the  final  n  was  added  and  formed 
niN.  n'jN,  ^c.  Then  the  participial  letter  \  was  inferted  as 
in  :irx,  brK,  &c.  The  transposition  of  the  radicals  would 
form  another  source  of  variety,  as  anx,  bnx :  and  lastly, 
roots  were  compounded  by  borrowing  a  third  radical  from 
other  roots,  or  incorporating  a  servile,  &c.  This  subje6l  is 
curious,  but  I  will  give  only  one  or  two  examples:  ax  is  to 
swell :  nax  to  desire :  anx  to  love  :  nix  (changing  a  for  i) 
to  desire  ;  all  originally  one  root :  x  itself  is  often  accessary  ; 
so  I  conceive  ^ax  from  •)!  :  h'2.H  from  Si :  but  the  subje6l 
of  compound  verbs  is  too  extensive  and  Qonjedlural  for  dis- 
cussion here. 


(      12     ) 

i  have  supposed  that  the  first  principles  of  lan- 
guage and  science  -were  received  by  ijituitioti. 
The  case  of  the  first  man  differed  materially  from» 
that  of  his  descendants.  Coming  into  the  world 
infants,  and  having  parents  to  instruct  us,  innate 
ideas  and  ingtinftive  knowledge  are  not  necessary 
for  us;  but  without  these  Adam  would  have  been 
a  cliikl  at  man's  estate,  which  is  the  exa6l  charac- 
ter of  an  ideot.  Besides,  as  it  appears,  the  wholie 
creation  was  formed  in  a  state  of  maturit}-,  the 
leaves  in  full  growth,  and  the  fruits  ripe — analogy 
leads  us  to  suppose  the  same  of  man. 

All  our  ideas  are  admitted  by  the  senses,  and 
consequently  refer,  in  the  first  place,  to  external 
obje6ts  ;  but  no  sooner  are  we  convinced  that  we 
possess  an  immaterial  soul  or  spirit,  than  we  find 
occasion  for  other  terms,  or,  in  the  want  of  them, 
another  application  of  the  same  terms  to  a  diffe- 
rent class  of  objects  ;  and  hence  arises  the  first 
and  principal  source  of  metaphorical  expression. 

Thus  ritacb'^ ^  the  term  at  first  used  for  air^  or 
wind,  is  applied  to  spirit ;  and  nephesh'^^  breath, 
to  the  human  soul.  Shemaim^  signifies  both  the 
visible  heavens,  and  the  immediate  residence  of 
Deity  ;  and  shcol^  is  variously  applied  to  the 
grave — the  unseen  v/orld,  in  general — and  to  the 
state  of  future  punishment. 

One  of  the  most  considerable  uses  Adam  had 
for  language,  must  have  been  in  naming  the  crea- 


.        (     13     ) 

turcs,  of  which  Moses  gives  a  short,  but  empha- 

tical  account.     '  The  Lord  God  had  formed  every 

.  *  beast  of  the  field,  and  every  bird  of  the  air,  and 

*  brought  them  unto  Adam,  to  see  what  he  would 

*  call  them  ;  and  whatsoever  Adam  called  every 

*  living  creature,  that  was  the  name  thereof'.'  It 
is  idle  to  enquire  how  they  were  brought :  he 
that  made  them  was  able  to  bring  them  within  the 
sphere  of  Adam's  observation  :  and  I  think  the 
names  given  abundantly  prove  that  he  had  time 
and  opportunity  to  hear  their  natural  cries,  and  to 
observe  their  characters,  which  could  hardly  be 
the  work  of  an  hour,  or  a  day.  I  have  supposed 
that  he  heard  their  natural  cries,  because  it  is  ge- 
nerally allov/ed  that  several  of  the  Hebrew  names, 
both  of  beasts  and  birds,  are  formed  by  onoma- 
topoeia. So  the  sparrow  is  called  tsippor'^  from 
its  chirping,  the  raven  ^wor^^ ^  {or  oreb)  from  its 
croaking,  and  the  ass  by  the  two  different  names 
oi gnarod"^  [or  gnorud)  2ind  pray^  from  its  bray- 
ing. Instances  of  a  like  nature  occur  in  other 
languages,  as  the  cuckoo  with  us,  and  the  sookoo 
of  the  south  seas. 

The  far  greater  part  of  the  names,  however, 
applied  to  animals  in  HebrcAv,  appear  to  be  de- 
rived from  their  charadleristic  qualities :  as  for 

1  Gen.  ii.  19. 

'  "lis::  3  ^-,y  4  ^y^  a  j{^5. 

N.  B.  In  deriving  names  by  onomatopoeia,  the  points  in 
Jlebvew  must  often  be  tlisrcearded. 


(     14     ) 

tnstance,  the  camel  is  culled  gamel"-  from  its  re- 
vengeful temper,  and  the  sheep  rachel"-  from  its 
meekness:  the  kite  daah^  from  its  remarkable 
method  of  flying,  or  sailing  in  the  air,  and  the 
hawk  raeh'^  from  the  proverbial  quickness  of  its 
sight. 

This  si]bje6l  is  so  curious  and  entertaining  that 
I  could  with  pleasure  pursue  it ;  but  I  have  been 
already  carried  into  a  digression  from  my  design, 
which  was  to  shew  how  man  came  at  first  by  his 
ideas  and  words,  and  particularly  the  origin  of 
figurative  terms. 

We  have  observed  that  all  our  ideas  at  first  en- 
ter by  the  senses, '  and  that  the  terms  applied  to 
spiritual  obje61:s  are  borrowed  originally  from  na- 
tural ones.  So  the  verb  raah^  signifies,  first,  to 
see^  and  secondly,  to  understand,  or  to  experi- 
ence. Thus  Solomon  :  *'  My  heart  had  great 
experience  [had  seen  much]  of  wisdem  and  know- 
ledge\  So  a'ln'^  [literally,  the  reflector']  is  used  as 
well  for  the  eye  of  the  mind  as  of  the  body^.  The 
verb  to  hear  signifies  also  to  hearken,  and  to  obey ; 
and  to  taste ^  or  feel-,  means  frequently  to  experi- 
ence ;  and  these  terms  are  so  applied,  not  only  in 
Hebrew,  but  also  in  our  own  and  other  languages. 

*  See  this  demonstrated  in  the  case  of  persons  born  blind 
in  a  little  pamphlet  entitled,  *  the  Principles  of  Atheisni 
proved  to  be  unfounded.'   8vo.  1796. 

6  nx"i  7  Eccles.  i.  16. 

«  Y^  from  najr  to  refle6\.     ( Parkhurst.) 

9  See  Gen    xvi.  6.         Deut.  xvi.  19.  1  Sam.  xv.  17, 

2  Sam.  vi.  22.  Scs. 


(     15     ) 

Once  more,  from  a  verb  signifying  to /d-ff  J,  is 
derived  the  name  of  a  shepherd ;  and  because 
the  office  of  a  shepherd  is  the  proper  emblem  of  a 
good  prince,  kings  are  called  shepherds^  and  their 
subje6ls  are  compared  to  sheep  ;  though  perhaps 
it  should  be  taken  into  the  account,  that  in  the 
ages  of  pastoral  simplicity  the  offices  were  some- 
times united  :  so  the  Egyptians  reckon  among 
their  early  monarchs,  a  race  of  shepherd  kings. 
From  this  honourable  application  of  the  term,  it 
was  carried  still  higher,  even  to  him  who  was  the 
Prince  and  Shepherd  of  the  house  of  Israel. 

So  closely,  in  the  present  state,  are  our  ideas 
conne6led  with  material  obje6ls,  that  we  cannot 
define  even  the  Supreme  Spirit,  but  by  a  term  bor- 
rowed from  the  material  air,  or  breath ;  and  he 
w^ho  "  knows  our  frame,  and  remembers  that  we 
are  but  dust,"  has  himself  condescended  to  teach 
us  this  language,  and  to  describe  himself  in  terms 
accommodated  to  our  confined  notions  ;  for  it 
would  be  as  impossible  for  our  minds  to  compre- 
hend the  nature  and  properties  of  pure  spirit,  as 
for  our  mortal  eyes  to  support  the  blaze  of  uncre- 
ated glory. 

And  as  our  ideas  are  very  confined,  so  it  is  na- 
tural to  suppose,  that  the  first  language  must  con- 
sist of  few,  and  simple  terms.  This  is  another 
source  of  metaphorical  expression,  for  it  was  much 
easier,  and  more  natural,  to  apply  the  same  terms 
in  a  figurative  way,  to  different  objects,  and  ideas 
in  some  respe6ls  similar,  than  to  invent  new  ones. 
This  we  find  to  be  the  fa6l  among  rude  and  un- 


{     15     ) 

civilized  nations  in  our  own  time.  When  Omiali 
from  Otalieite,  v»-as  first  introduced  to  Lord  Sand- 
wich, in  order  to  distinguish  the  company  pre- 
sent, he  pointed  first  to  the  butler,  and  called 
him  "  king  of  the  bottles" — Capt.  Furneaux, 
''  king  of  the  ships" — and  Lord  Sandwich,  "  king 
oi  all  the  ships." 

Something  like  this  appears  to  have  been  the 
case  with  the  antient  Hebrews,  and  accounts  for 
many  of  their  idioms.  Thus  they  variously  apply 
the  term  Baal,  signifying  Lord,  or  Master.  A 
master  of  arrows^  is  a  skilful  archer — a  master 
of  dreams- ,  a  remarkable  dreamer — a  master  of 
the  tongue^,  a  great  talker — a  master  of  contri- 
vances, a  cunning  fellow  "*- — and  a  bird  swift  of 
flight,  a  master  of  the  ivi?ig^.  In  like  manner 
they  apply  the  term  ben,  a  son,  to  a  great  variety 
of  objecls.  An  arrow  is  the  son  of  the  bo%v — a 
spark,  the  son  oj  a  coal — and  a  vine  branch,  the 
daughter  of  the  vine^.  An  animal  a  year  old,  is 
the  son  of  a  year'' — a  man  deserving  punishment, 
a  son  of  stripes  ^  — and  so  in  a  variety  of  other  forms. 

Dr.  Blair   remarks,  '  We  are  apt,  upon  a  su- 

*  pcrficial  view,  to  imagine  that  figures  of  speech 
*■  are  among  the  chief  refinements  of  language — ■■ 

*  devised  by  orators  and  rhetoricians.     The  con- 
'  trary  of  this  is  the  truth.     Mankind  never  em- 

*  ployed  so  many  figures  of  speech  as  when  they 

*  had  hardly  any  w^ords  ;'  and  this  seems  the  true 

1  Gen.  xlix.  23.  *  Gen.  xxxvii.  19. 

*  Eccles.  X.  11.  6  Prov.  xxviii.  8. 
»  Prov.  i.  17.  7  Gen.  xlix.  22. 

*  Exod.  xii.  5.  8  Dewt.  xxv.  2. 


(    17    ) 

reason  wliy  all  barbarian  or  inartificial  tongiiei^ 
abound  in  the  use  of  metaphors  ;  many  of  them 
«ondu6ling  their  common    '  public    transaclions 

*  with   bolder    metaphors,  and    greater  pomp   of 

*  style,  than  we  use  in  our  poetical  productions '.' 

That  figures,  properly  employed,  give  great 
force  and  beauty  to  composition,  wnll  not  be  con- 
troverted ;  yet  we  see  they  originated  in  the  pau- 
city of  words,  and  the  poverty  of  language  :  so 
Providence  has  ordained  in  this  mixed  state  of 
things  ;  beauties  often  arise  out  of  defeats  ;  as 
the  rudest  obje6ls  in  nature  furnish  the  most  in- 
teresting views. 

It  is  natural  to  suppose,  that  mankind  v.ould 
early  discover  this  circumstance,  and  soon  employ 
figurative  terms,  as  well  from  choice  as  from  ne- 
cessity ;  to  give  life  and  spirit  to  their  conversa- 
tions, and  especially  to  their  set  speeches  and 
compositions. 

Mri   Blackwell    observes,    '  that  the    Turks, 
'  Arabs,  Indians,  and,  in  general,  most  of  the  in- 

*  habitants  of  the  east,  are  a  solitary  kind  of  peo- 
^ple,  they   speak   but    seldom,    and   never   long 

*  without    emotion :    but    when,    in     their    own 

*  phrase,  they  open  their  mouths^  and  give  loose 

*  to  a  fiery  imagination,  they  are  poetical,  and  full 
'  of  metaphor.     Speaking,  among  such  people,  is 

*  a  matter  of  some  moment,  as  we  may  gather 
'■  from  their  usual  introduftions ;  for  before  they 

*  begin  to   deliver  their  thoughts,  they  give  no- 

*  tice  that  they  will  open  their   mouthy  that  they 

*  will  unloose  their  tongue^  that  they  will  utter 

1  Blair's  Lea.  vi.  vol.  I. 

c 


(      13     ) 

*  their  voice  and  pronounce  ivitb  their  lips.  These 
'  preambles  bear  a  great  resemblance  (adds  thi^ 
'  learned  Avriter)  to  the  old  forms  of  introdu6lion 

*  in  Homer,  Hesiod,  and  Orpheus,  in  which  they 
'are  sometimes  followed  by  Virgil'.'  I  may 
subjoin,  that  they  are  the  very  expressions  adopted 
by  the  sacred  writers. 

Another  source  of  figures,  which  I  shall  men- 
tion, is  the  use  of  picture-%vriting  and  hierogly- 
phics. Bishop  Warburton  has  largely  shewn*, 
that  pi61ure  writing  was  the  first  method  of  re- 
eording  public  events  :  to  this  succeeded  hiero- 
glyphics, which  were  an  abridgment  of  the  former 
method  ;  and  these  were  followed  by  the  arbitrary 
chara(51:crs  of  literal  writing,  which  w-ere  most 
probably  abridged  from  hieroglyphics. 

These  ideas  are  not  merely  conjectural.  When 
the  Spaniards  invaded  South  America,  the  inha- 
bitants sent  expresses  to  Montezuma,  in  paintings 
upon  cloth ;  and  Purchase  gives  the  copy  of  a 
Mexican  pi(Slure,  which  contains  the  history  of  an 
antient  Indian  king,  in  emblematic  pictures.  So 
in  North  America,  to  preserve  historical  events, 
they  peel  off  the  bark  on  one  side  of  u  tree,  scrape 
it  clean,  and  then  draw  with  ruddle  the  figure  of  a 
hero  and  his  military  exploits  ;  the  representation 
of  a  hunting  party,  and  the  beasts  killed  ;  or  any 
other  circumstance  they  wish  to  remember,  or  to 
record  ^ . 

^  Enquiry  into  the  Life  and  Writings  of  Homer,  p.  4  3. 
*  Divine  Legation,  Vol.  IL 

3  Loskiel's  Hist,  of  tiic  Mission  of  the  United  Brethren 
lli  North  America,  translated  by  Latrobe,  part  1.  p.  5  5. 


(      19     ) 

This  way  of  delineating  events  would  be  easily 
transferred  to  poetry,  which  is  a  method  of  paint- 
ing  obje6ts  upon  the  imagination,  with  a  strength 
and  durability  which  mere  literal  expression  can 
by   no  means  effe6l.     And  'an    allegory   (ac- 

*  cording   to   Lord   Kaims)  is   in   every   respeft 

*  similar  to  an  allegorical  painting ;   except  only 
'  that  words  are  used   instead  of  colours.     The 

*  eftecls  are  precisely  the  same.     An  hieroglyphic 
'  raises  two  images  in  the  mind  ;   one  seen^  which 

*  represents   one    not  seen  :    an  allegory  does  the 

*  same  ;    the  representathve    subjeft  is  described, 

*  and    resemblance  leads  us  to  apply  the  descrip- 
'  tion  to  the  subje6l  represented'.' 

Again,  in  the  early  state  of  society  men  con- 
verse much  by  the  aid  of  action.  When  they 
know  not  how  accurately  to  name  an  obje(5l,  they 
point  to  it ;  or,  in  the  absence  of  the  objetSl  itself, 
to  its  image  or  resemblance  ;  hence  arises  the  lan- 
guage of  a6lion  as  well  as  words.  Of  the  Indian 
orators  it  is  remarked,  that  they  use  a  great  va- 
riety of  gesticulations  :  and  the  same  is  true  of 
the  natives  of  the  South  Sea  Islands,  and  of  all 
uncivilized  nations,  in  proportion  to  their  vivacity. 
Nor  is  this  method  confined  to  uncivilized  society. 
With  the  deaf  and  dumb,  a6tion  is  employed  as  a 
substitute  for  speech ;  and  on  the  theatre  it  forms 
a  favourite  species  of  amusement ;  for  what  are 
the  ballet  and  the  pantomime  but  speaking  aftion  ? 
To  such  a  degree  of  perfe6lion  was  this  art  car  • 

^  Elements  of  Criiicism,  Vol.  II.  p.  269, 


(     20     ) 

ried  by  the  ancients,  that  Roscius^  the  celebrated 
Roman  aclor,  boasted  to  Cicero  that  he  could  ex- 
press any  sentiment  in  as  great  a  variety  of  intel- 
ligible gestures  as  he  could  of  words. 

Even  daficing^  which  is  with  us  a  mere  amuse- 
ment, and  in  general  a  very  vain  one,  appears  to 
have  been  much  more  dignified  in  its  original ; 
being  employed  in  the  religious  worship  of  the 
Greeks,  the  Egyptians,  and  even  the  Hebrews. 
Among  the  former  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  an 
imitation  of  the  motion  of  the  heavenly  bodies. 
So  Lucian  tells  us,  that   '  dancing  had  its  rise 

*  with  the   first   beginning   of  all  things — for  the 

*  choral  revolution  of  the  stars,  and  the  complica- 
*•  ted  motions  of  the  planets  among  tl")re  fixed  stars, 
'  and  their  regular  communion  with  each  other, 

*  and  well-ordered  harmony,  are  instances  of  the 
'  primeval  dancing^'  To  this  idea  our  Milton 
evidently  alludes,  v/hen  he  reckons  dancing  among 
the  employments  of  heaven. 

'  That  day,  as  other  solemn  days,  they  spent 
'  In  joy  and  dancs  about  the  sacred  hill  ; 
'  Mystical  dance,  which  yonder  starry  sphere 
'  Of  planets,  and  of  fix'd,  in  all  her  wheels 
'  Resembles  nearest,  mazes  intricate, 
'  Eccentric,  intervolv'd,  yet  regular 

Then  most,  when  most  irregular  they  seem'.' 

That  the  Hebrews  employed  dancing  in  their 
religious  worship  is  indisputable  from  the  in- 
stance of  David  and  others,  in  the  Old   Testa^ 

^  Lucian /j^r/  Orcheseos,  Vol.  I.  p.  913.  Ed.  Ben. 
*  Par.  I-ost,  Book  V.  1.  620. 


(  ^1  ) 

ment ''  ;  and  it  is  no  less  certain  that  it  was  pra<Sli- 
sed  in  the  religious  services  of  the  Heathens,  as 
it  is  to  this  day,  in  various  countries  ;  all  their  sa- 
cred feasts  being  accompanied  with  dancing^ 

But  to  return  from  this  digression,  and  keep 
nearer  to  our  subjeft,  it  merits  our  particular  at- 
tention that  the  prophets  themselves  frequently  ac- 
companied their  oracles  with  some  symbolical  ac- 
tion ;  and  their  exhortations  were  commonly  deli- 
vered with  great  animation  and  violent  gestures, 
such  as  clapping  of  the  hands,  smiting  on  the 
thigh,  and  stamping  with  the  foot^  ;  all  which  ac- 
tions, perhaps,  were  commonly  used  in  the  sacred 
dances. 

Many  of  these  actions,  it  must  be  confessed, 
appear  to  us  extravagant  and  unaccountable  ;  but 
this  arises  from  the  difference  of  customs  and  ha- 
bits ;  and  many  of  ours  would  doubtless  have  ap- 
peared as  strange  and  unaccountable  to  them  : 
though  it  might  be  added,  that  some  of  the  most 
celebrated  orators  of  Greece,  France,  and  our  own 
country,  have  on  particular  occasions,  used  the 
most  energetic  action. 

1   2   Sam.  vi.  14,  16.  1  Chron.  xv.  29,  &c. 

*  It  feems  more  extraordinary  that  the  custom  fhould 
obtain  among  a  denomination  of  modern  chriftians  ;  yet  we 
are  assured  there  now  exists  a  chriftian  se6l  at  Lebanon  in 
North  America,  called  Shakers,  (or  shaking  quakers)  who 
used  at  first  violent  gesticulations  in  their  worfliip  (like  the 
jumpers  in  Wales)  but  who  now,  in  public  worship,  have  '  a 
>  regular,  solemn,  uniform  dance,  orgenufle6\ion,  to  asregu- 
'  lar,  solemn  a  hymn,  which  is  sung  by  the  elders,  and  as 
'  regularly  conduced  as  a  proper  band  of  music'  See  the 
New-York  Thcol.  Mag.  for  Nov.  and  Dec.  1795. 

*  Ezek.  yi.  11  ;  xxi,  12,  14. 


(     22     ) 

The  last  source  of  the  metaphorical  language  of 
the  Scriptures,  ^which  I  shall  distin^lly  mention  is, 
that  God  himself  was  pleased  to  institute  a  kind 
of  silent  language^  both  in  the  works  of  nature, 
and  in  tlie  types  of  revealed  religion. 

First,  in  the  works  of  nature  :   '  Because   that 

*  which  may  be  known  of  God  is  manifest  in  them 

*  —  for  the  invisible  things  of  him  from  the  crea- 

*  tion  of  the  world  are  clearly  seen  (being  under- 

*  stood  by  the  things  which  are  made)  even  his 
eternal  power  and  Godhead"  The  Hebrew  Psal- 
mist expresses  the  same  idea  in  all  the  charms  of 
poetic  language^. 

<>  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God  ; 

'  And  the  expansion '  sheweth  the  work  of     his  hands, 

'  Day  after*  day  uttereth  speech, 

'  Night  after  night  revealeth  knowledge, 

'  There  is  no  fpeech,  nor  language  ; 

'  Without'  [these]  is  their  voice  heard. 

'  Into  all  the  earth  is  Lhcirsound^  gone  forth  ; 

'  And  unto  the  extremities  of  the  world  their  sayings  j 

'In  them  hath  he  set  a  tabernacle  for  the   Sun, 

'  Which  goeth   forth  as  a  bridegroom  from  his  chamber, 

'  And  rejoiceth  us  a  mighty  man  to  run  a  race  1' 

'    Rom.  i.  19,  20.  2   Psulm  xix.  1,   S<;c. 

'  This  is  doubtlefs  the  meaning  of  the  Hebrew  (ir^"!)  '■> 
ovu*  ti-anslators  erred  by  following  the  LXX.  and  they  were 
misled  by  their  philofophy. 

4  So  the  particle  b  is  rendered,  Gen.  vii.  10.  Sec  Pol i 
Synop,  in  Pfalm, 

5  See  Job  viii.  1 1.  in  the  Heb.  where  this  particle  ^bi  is 
twice  so  rendered. 

6  So  the  apostle  Paul  quotes  this  passage,  Rom,  x.  18. 
Dr.  Durell  tliinks  a  letter  has  been  dropped  here,  and  that 
we  should  rcadQb''p,  as  in  the  preceding  verse ';  but  as  this 
is  not  supported  by  MSS.  Dr.  Kcnnicot  rather  thinks  that 
the  word  nip  might  signify  sound,  or  report,  like  a  kindred 
word  in  Arabic  ;  and  this  Avill  agree  with  the  radical  idea* 
which  is  to  projcet,  extend,  &;c.    See  Farkhurst, 


(     23     ) 

To  this  beautiful  objeft  the  Psalmist  elsewhere 
compares  the  Deity  himself :  'God  is  a  sun':' 
i.  e.  as  the  sun  is  the  source  of  light  and  heat  to 
the  terrestrial  world,  so  is  God  the  fountain  of 
wisdom,  and  of  all  excellence.  From  this  strik- 
ing resemblance,  the  solar  luminary  was  made  ori- 
ginally the  medium,  and  afterward  the  obje6l,  of 
religious  worship,  which  in  succeeding  ages  de- 
generated to  meaner  and  baser  idols. 

Leaving,  however,  the  abuse  of  these  things,  it 
is  sufficiently  evident  that  much  of  the  divine  pcr- 
fe61:ions  may  be  learned  from  the  works  of  creati- 
on ;  though  I  dare  not  consider  them  as  images  of 
the  divine  nature  in  the  manner  of  its  existence, 
because  I  conceive  the  Most  High  to  be,  in 
that  respect^  a  being  without  parallel,  and  with- 
out similitude.  '  To  whom  will  ye  liken  God  I 
*  or  what  likeness  will  ye  compare  unto  him''  !* 

The  volume  of  nature  is  open  to  all,  but  pecu- 
liarly so  to  men  of  poetic  genius  :  their  eyes  dis- 
cover a  thousand  charms  unobserved  by  others  ; 
and  this  is  the  grand  treasury,  whence  their  best 
and  most  striking  images  are  drawn.  A  different 
class  of  beauties  unveil  themselves  to  the  pious  be- 
liever, who  claims  an  interest  in,  and  a  relation  to, 
their  Author.  The  religious  poet  possesses  both 
advantages  ;  but  the  prophet  a  third,  which  per- 
fected and  crowned  the  others. 

»  Psalm  Ixxxiv.  II.  »  Isa.  Ix.  IS. 


(     24     ) 

Bishop  LpwTH  on  Isaiah,  chap.  ii.  13 — 16,  re- 
marks, '  These  verses  afford  us  a  striking  exam- 
ple of  that  peculiar  way  of  writing  which  makes 
a  principal  characSteristic  of  the  parabolical  or 
poetical  style^  of  the  Hebrews,  and  in  which 
their  prophets  deal  so  largely  ;  namely,  their 
manner  of  exhibiting  thingsdivine,  spiritual,  mo- 
ral, and  political,  by  a  set  of  images  taken  from 
things  natural,  artificial,  religious,  historical ;  in 
the  v:2l\  oi  metaphor  or  allegory.  Of  these  «<7- 
ture  furnishes  much  the  largest,  and  the  most 
pleasing  share  ;  and  all  poetry  has  chiefly  recourse 
to  natural  images,  as  the  richest  and  most  pow- 
erful source  of  illustration.  But  it  may  be  ob- 
served of  the  Hebrew  poetry  in  particular,  that 
in  the  use  of  such  images,  and  in  the  application  of 
them  in  the  Vv-ay  of  illustration  and  ornament,  it  is 
more  regular  and  constant  than  any  other  poetry 
whatever  ;  that  it  has,  for  the  most  part,  a  set 
of  images  appropriated,  in  a  manner,  to  the  ex- 
plication of  certain  subje6ls.  Thus  you  will 
find,  in  many  other  places  beside  this  before  us, 
cedars  of  Lebanus  and  oaks  of  Basan  are  used  in 
the  way  of  metaphor  and  allegory,  for  kings, 
princes,  potentates,  of  the  highest  rank  ;  high 
mountains,  and  lofty  hills,  for  kingdoms,  repub- 
lics, states,  cities  ;  towers  and  fortresses  for  de- 
fenders and  prote6iors,  whether  by  counsel  or 
strength,  in  peace  or  war  ;  ships  of  Tarshish, 
and  works  of  art  and  invention  employed  in 
adorning  jthem,  for  merchants,  men  enriched  by 
commerce,  and  abounding  in  all  the  luxuries  and 
elc9'ancies  of  life ;  such  as  those  of  Tyre  and 
Sidon.' 


(    25     ) 

Sometimes  the  natural  and  moral  World  are  cohi- 
pared  in  like  manner,  by  a  set  of  images  not 
less  beautiful,  and  little  less  sublime.  Thus  man- 
kind, in  a  state  of  natural  depravity,  are  comipafed 
to  the  wild  olive  and  the  poisonous  vine,  which  are, 
by  the  grace  of  God,  converted  into  the  good 
olive  and  the  fruitful  vine.  So  the  thorn,  the  this- 
tle, and  the  bramble,  are  changed  into  the  box, 
the  myrtle,  and  the  iir-tree.  The  grace  of  God 
kself  is  compared  to  fountains  and  rivers  of  living 
Water ;  and  the  odours  emitted  by  the  most  fra- 
grant plants  represent  that  '  good  report  of  all 
*  men,  and  of  the  truth  itself,'  which  results  from 
<l  truly  virtuous  and  christian  character.  By  an 
assemblage  of  these  images,  both  Solomon  and 
Isaiah  compare  the  church  of  God  to  si  rich, 
fertile,  and  inclosed  garden i 

2.  Typical  images  and  allusions  are  another 
grand  and  important  source  of  figurative  language; 
Types  are  -^ro\i^Y\y  figurati've  things;  and  typical 
aftions,  things,  places,  or  persons,  bear  the  same 
relation  to  other  a6lions,  things,  places,  or  persons* 
that  figurative  language  bears  to  literal* 

The  method  of  typical  instruction  appears  to 
have  been  adopted  by  God  himself,  immediately 
on  the  creation  of  mankind.  When  God  formed 
our  first  parents  he  placed  them  in  a  garden » 
planted,  as  it  should  seem,  with  figurative  instruc- 
tion. The  tree  (or  trees)  of  life^  had  certainly  a 
typical  allusion  and  figurative  design,  pointing,  in 
the  first  instance,  to  that  immortality  to  which  he 

was  originally  created.     So,  it  has  been  supposed 

D 


(     2G     5 

the  tree  of  knoivledgc  received  its  name,  from  be^ 
ing  appointed  the  test  and  medium  of  knowing 
pra^ically  the  difference  between  good  and  evil y 
After  the  fall,  the  tree  of  life  was  employed  as  an 
image  of  a  happy  life  ;  and  a  type  of  eternal  hap- 
piness, and  of  Him  who  was  to  be  the  author  and 
medium  of  it.  But  to  shew  that  this  life  was  not 
to  be  obtained  by  the  mere  strength  of  human  ex- 
ertion, the  cherubim,  inclosed  with  cloud  and 
revolving  flame,  were  placed  to  guard  the  entrance 
to  the  garden  where  it  grew. 

It  is  observable,  that  the  first  promise  of  divine 
mercy  was  made  in  this  kind  of  figurative  language. 
— '  The  seed  of  the  woman'  was  to  '  break  the 
*  serpent's  head^  and  at  the  same  time  to  be 
Wounded  by  it  in  his  heel.''  These  are  all  figura- 
tive terms.  The  serpent,  as  he  had  been  the 
agent,  was  also  to  be  considered  as  the  emblem  of 
Satan.  After  the  fall,  also,  our  first  parents  were 
clothed  with  the  skins  of  beasts,  which,  there  is 
reason  to  believe,  had  a  figurative  import. 

The  tabernacle  and  temple. were  not  only  types 
themselves,  but  full  of  typical  things.  Their  in- 
stitutions and  services  were  all  typical ;  and  even 
the  instruments  and  utensils  employed  in  them. 
But  of  what  they  were  typical,  is  another  subje6l 
of  inquiry.  Josephus  makes  the  tabernacle,  the 
sacerdotal  vestments,  and  the  holy  vessels,  all 
figurative  of  the  system  of  the  world  and  nature. 
The  three  parts  of  the  tabernacle  he  resembles  to 
the  earth,  the  sea,  and  the  heavens.  The  twelve 
loaves  of  the  shew-bread,  according  to  him,  sig- 


(     27     ) 

nify  the  twelve  months.  The  golden  candlestick 
(or  chandelier)  represents  the  signs  of  the  zodiac, 
and  the  seven  lamps  the  planets.  The  curtains, 
of  four  colours,  the  four  elements.  The  high 
priest's  linen  garments,  design  the  body  of  the 
earth,  and  the  violet  colour,  the  heavens — the 
pomegranates  answer  to  lightning,  and  the  bells  to 
thunder. — '  The  four-coloured  ephod  bears  re- 
'  semblance  to  the   very  nature  of  the  universe, 

*  and  the  interweaving  it  with  threads  of  gold,  to 

*  the  rays  of  the  sun,  which  enlighten  us. — The 

*  pectoral  (or  breast-plate)  in  the  middle,  intimates 

*  the  position  of  the  earth  in  the  centre  of  the 

*  world. — The  priest's  girdle,  the  sea  about  the 

*  globe  of  the  earth — the  two  sardonyx  stones  on 

*  the  shoulders,  the  sun  and  moon — and  by  the 

*  other  twelve  stones  on  the  breast,  may  be  un- 

*  derstood  either  the  twelve  months,  or  the  twelve 

*  signs  of  the  zodiac'.' — Fanciful  and  extravagant 
as  this  account  seems,  we  may  learn  from  it  two 
things  deserving  observation  :  1.  That  the  antient 
Jews  considered  these  things  as  typical  and  figura- 
tive ;  and  2.  That  the  carnal  part  of  them  being 
ignorant  of  the  mysteries  of  the  gospel,  applied 
them  to  natural  instead  of  spiritual  obje6ls  ;  just 
as  now  some  men,  (who  call  themselves  rational 
christians)  reduce  Christianity  to  the  standard  of 
natural  religion. 

*  Antiq.  lib.  iii.  cap.  7.  So  Philo,  and  among  the  more 
modern  Jcavs,  R.  Abrabanel  and  R.  Bechai,  explain  the 
tabernacle  as  representing  the  universe,  in  a  manner  not 
very  dissimilar  from  Josephus.  See  Kidder's  Messiah,  2d 
§dit,  fol.  p.  113,   114. 


(     28     ) 

St.  Paul,  and  the  other  New  Testament  writer«, 
represent  these  things  in  a  different  point  of  view. 
Christ  and  Christianity  are  all  in  all  with  them. 
In  one  remarkable  circumstance  only,  St  Paul  an^ 
the  Jewish  historian  seem  perfeclly  to  agree-^-they 
make  the  holy  of  holies  typical  of  heaven,  the 
immediate  residence  of  God.  The  epistle  to  tjie 
Hebrews  is  a  system  of  typical  exposition  ;  tp 
which  may  be  added  that  of  St.  Barnabas,  whose 
interpretatioi|s,  however  flmciful  they  may  seem, 
are  certainly  not  more  so  than  the  ^iHegories  of 
fhilp  ajid  jQsephus, 


SECTION  11. 

pN  THE  ORIGIN  OF  POETRY,  AND  ON  THE 
NATURE  OF  THE  HEBREW  POETRY. 

IN  tracing  the  origin  of  figurative  language, 
we  have  also  traced  the  origin  of  poetry,  since  the 
first  poetry  appears  to  have  been  only  language 
highly  figurative  and  musical. 

It   is    in  this   sense,    as   Dr.   Blair   observes, 

*  Poetry  has  been  said  to  be  more  ancient  than 

*  prose  :  and,  however  paradoxical  such  an  asser- 
'  tion  may  seem,  yet,  in  a  qualified  sense,  it  is 
'  true.  Men  certainly  never  conversed  with  one 
'  another  in  regular  numbers  ;  but  even  their  ordi- 
'  nary  language  would,  in  antient  times,  approach 
^  to  a  poetical  style ;  and  the   first  compositions 


(     39     ) 

'  transmitted  to  posterity  were,  in  a  literal  sense, 

*  poems  ;   that  is,  compositions  in  which  imagi- 

*  nation  had  the  chief  hand,  formed    into  some 

*  kind  of  numbers,  and  pronounced  with  a  musi- 

*  cal  modulation  or  tone'.' 

It  is  indeed  easy  to  believe,  that  human  lan- 
guage might  attain  a  considerable  degree  of.  ele- 
vation and  force,  before  it  acquired  the  exactness 
of  prose  compositioxi.  This  we  observe  in  young 
writers,  v/ho,  if  they  possess  any  degree  of  ge- 
nius, are  generally  flowery  and  poetic  :  and  find 
much  time  and  pra6lice  needful  to  attain  the  neat- 
ness and  purity  of  correct  prose.  The  human 
mind,  like  a  good  vine,  sends  forth  vigorous  and 
lofty  branches;  but  it  requires  the  judgment  of 
an  experienced  hand  to  prune  away  the  weak  and 
unnecessary  shoots,  in  order  to  give  perfection 
to  the  fruit.  Or,  we  may  compare  it  to  a  river, 
strong  and  rapid  in  a  state  of  nature,  but  often 
ready  to  overflow  its  boundaries,  and  desolate  the 
surrounding  country,  till  the  hand  of  art  rears 
high  and  strong  banks,  and  by  proper  canals  and 
locks,  distributes  its  waters,  so  as  to  be  the 
jneans  only  of  fertility  and  pleasure. 

The  nature  of  the  Hebrew  poetry  hath  been  so 
learnedly  and  satisfactorily  ascertained  by  Bp. 
LowTH,  and  his  system  is  so  well  known  and 
generally  adopted  by  the  learned,  that  what  I 
shall  offer  on  this  subje6l  will  be  little  more  than 
the  result  of  his  discoveries. 

^  Dissertation  on  Ossian's  Poems,  also  leSlurcvi.  p.  132. 
fccc.     Sec  likewise  Bishop  Lowth's  Preleft.  scc\.  iv. 


(     30     ) 

That  the  Hebrew  poetry  does  not  consist  in 
rhyme,  is  very  evident ;  and  no  less  so  that  it 
consisted  not  in  measured  lines  of  equal  length, 
like  those  of  blank  verse  :  but  it  is  distinguished 
from  simple  prose  by  the  following  circumstances. 

1.  The  use  of  highly  figurative  language,  of 
which  we  have  seen  several  examples  in  the  pre- 
ceding section  ;  and  with  which  our  prophetic 
writers  particularly  abound.  This  is  perfe6tly 
natural  and  consistent.  Our  first  views  of  objects 
are  generally  exaggerated,  and  make  a  strong  im- 
pression on  the  mind  from  their  novelty  :  hence 
it  is  natural  to  speak  of  them  in  poetic  language. 
And  this  language  is  perfectly  adapted  to  prophe- 
cy, since  it  was  natural  to  describe  with  raptu- 
rous and  glowing  language,  what  was  seen  in  vi- 
sion and  in  ecstasy. 

A  2d  mark  of  poetic  composition  is  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  words  in  their  poetic  order, 
wliich  is  often  the  reverse  of  the  prosaic.  To 
those  acquainted  with  the  learned  languages  this 
remark  can  want  no  illustration  ;  and  to  the  plain- 
est Engliali  reader  it  may  be  rendered  intelligible 
by  a  single  verse  from  the  oracle  to  Shebna ' . 

'  And  I  will  drive  thee  from  thy  station, 
'  And  from  thy  state  will  I  overthrow  thee.' 

Here  tli£  first  line  gives  the  prosaic,  and  the 
second  the  poetic   order  :  not  but  poetry  admits 

I    Lowth's  Ifa.  xxii.  19. 


(     31     ) 

the  former   arrangement,  though   modern  prose 
seldom  will  admit  the  latter. 

The  3d  and  most  charaderistic  property  of  He- 
brew poetry  is  what  Bishop  Lowth  calls  a  paral- 
lelism ;  or  a  certain  poetic  correspondency  between 
the  parts  and  members  of  the  poetic  verses.    The 
different  lengths   and  measures    of  the   Hebrew 
verse  are  ascertained  by  the  alphabetic  psalms^ 
and  poems,  in  which  every  verse  begins  with  a 
certain  letter,  in  the  manner  of  an  acrostic.  Trans- 
ferring the  rules  derived  from  these  examples  to 
the  other  poetical  parts  of  scripture,  we  find  that 
they  resolve  themselves  into  poetic  lines,  or  ver- 
ses, as  in  the  following  examples  ;  though  it  may 
not  be  always  easy  to  mark  and  divide  them  so 
distin6lly. 

<  Seek  ye  Jehovah,  while  he  may  be  found; 

*  Call  ye  upon  him  while  he  is  near*.' 

'  A  wise  son  rejoiceth  his  father  j 

'  But  a  foolish  son  is  the  grief  of  his  mother*.' 

*  Give  a  portion  to  seven,  and  also  to  eight ; 

'  For   thou   knowest  not   what   evil   shall  be  upon  th^ 
'  earth*.' 

These  instances,  borrowed  from  Bishop 
Lowth,  exhibit  the  three  kinds  of  parallels, 
which  he  calls  synonymous,  antithetic,  and  con- 
stru^live ;  but  for  a  full  account  of  them  I  must 
refer  to  his    learned  preliminary  dissertation  to 

*  Psalm  xxY.  Sec.  xxxiv.   xxxvii.   cxi.    cxii.    cxix.  cxlv. 
Prov.'xxxi.   10 — 31  ;  and  Lament,  i.  ii.  iii.  iv. 

*  Isa.  Iv.  6.  ^  Prov.  x.  1.  ■♦  F.ccles.  xi.  2.. 


(     52     ) 

Isaiah,  where  the  inquisitive  reader  will  find  am- 
ple satisfaclion. 

I  would  add,  however,  that  the  Hebrew  poetry 
consists  of  long  and  short  lines,  of  couplets,  tri- 
plets, and  other  combinations  of  verses  sufficient 
to  form  a  considerable  variety,  and  to  suit  the 
different  species  of  poetic  coriiposition  employed 
by  the  inspired  writers; 

4.  The  last  mark  of  the  poetic  style  is  a  ceftairt 
rhythm  and  harmonious  arrangement  of  the  syllables. 
That  the  vferses  had  something  regular  in  their 
form  and  composition,  seems  probable  from  their 
*•  apparent  parity  and  uniformity,  and  the  relation 
which  they  manifestly  bear  to  the  distribution  of 
the  sentence  into  its  members.  But  as  to  the 
harmony  and  cadence,  the  metre  or  rhythm,  of 
what  kind  they  v>  ere,  and  by  what  laws  regula- 
ted, these  eisamples  give  us  no  light,  nor  afforcf 
us  sufficient  principles  on  which  to  build  any 
theory,  or  to  form  any  hypothesis.  For  harmo- 
ny arises  from  the  proportion,  relation,  and  cor- 
respondence of  different  combined  sounds  ;  and 
verse  from  the  arrangement  of  w^ords,  and  the 
disposition  of  syllables,  according  to  the  num- 
ber, quantity,  and  accent ;  therefore  the  harmo- 
ny and  true  modulation  of  verse  depends  upon  af 
perfe6l  pronunciation  of  the  language,  and  a 
knowledge  of  the  principles  and  rules  of  versifi- 
cation ;  and  metre  supposes  an  exact  knowledge 
of  the  number  and  quantity  of  the  syllables,  and 
in  some  languages  of  the  accent.  But  the  true 
pronunciation  of  Hebrew  is  lost :  lost  to  a  degree 


(     33     ) 

*'far  beyond  what  can  ever  be  the  case  of  any  Eu- 

*  ropean  language  preserved  only  in  writings  :   for 

*  the  Hebrew  language . . .  has  lain  now  for  2000 

*  years,  in  a  manner  mute,  and  incapable  of  ut- 

*  terance  :  the  number  of  syllables  is,  in  a  great 

*  many  words,  uncertain  :   the  quantity  and  accent 

*  wholly  unknown'.'    * 

Thus  the  learned  translator  of  Isaiah  ;  and,  by 
this  extra6l,  the  reader  will  perceive  his  lordship 
pays  little  regard  to  the  Masoretic  points  and  ac- 
cents, and  esteems  '  the  rules  of  the  Jews  of  no 

*  authority.'  Without  these,  however,  that  the 
Hebrew  writers  had  a  respe6l  to  quantity  and  ac- 
cent, there  is  sufficient  evidence  in  the  poetic  li- 
cences they  employ  in  lengthening  and  abbrevi- 
ating words,  by  forms  little  used  in  their  prose  or 
historical  compositions ;  and  by  an  arrangement 
of  words  sometimes  very  intricate,  and  at  this 
distance  of  time,  very  hard  to  understand. 

We  have  said,  the  Hebrews  had  their  poetic  li- 
cences, and  to  these,  I  conceive,  should  be  re- 
ferred some  peculiarities  in  their  language,  which 
critics  and  grammarians  have  found  it  difficult  to 
account  for.  Among  these,  one  of  the  principal 
seems  to  be  an  enallege  or  change  of  tenses  ;  the 
past  for  future,  and  the  future  for  past,  or  rather 
both  past  and  future  for  the  present;  which  is 
wanting  in  the  Hebrew,  excepting  the  participle, 
and  this  in  many  cases  cannot  be  conveniently  em- 
ployed.    It  is  however  rather  as  a  poetic  beauty, 

1  Lowth's  Prelim.  Dissert,  to  Isaiah,  8vo.  ed,  p.  10.  See. 
also  his  Le<5tures,  LeCt.  III. 

E 


(     34     ) 

than  from  necessity,  that  the  prophets  so  fre- 
quently, '  rapt  into  future  times,'  consider  them 
as  present,  or  even  past,  and  relate  them  M"ith  all 
the  certitude  of  history.  Instances  of  this  abound 
in  Scripture,  and  none  is  perhaps  more  beautiful 
and  striking  than  the  53d  chapter  of  Isaiah. 

It  is  true,  indeed,  that  the  sacred  \\ritcrs  frequent- 
ly employ  the  contrary  idiom,  and  use  the  future  for 
the  past',  v.hich  seems  not  so  easy  to  be  account- 
ed for^.  In  many  places  the  tenses  are  used  pro- 
miscuously, and  interchangeably,  in  the  same  or 
in  succeeding  verses ;  in  which  case,  perhaps, 
both  ought  to  be  rendered  into  English  by  the  pre- 
sent, for  which  I  suppose  them  generally  to  be 
used  ;  being  designed  to  coUecSl  the  adlions  or 
events,  either  past  or  future,  more  immediately 
under  the  observer's  eye ;  and  thus  rendered, 
would,  I  conceive,  acquire  additional  elegance 
and  beauty  ^ . 

»   Deut.  iv.  42.  Psal.  Ixxx.  9.  Sec 

2  .Grammarians  have  endeavoured  to  get  over  these  diffi- 
culties by  ascribing  a  kind  of  magic  influence  to  the  parti- 
cle vau  (i)  which  has  the  power,  they  say,  according  as  it 
is  pointed,  to  convert  preters  into  futures,  and  vice  versa. 
Some  give  it  a  sort  of  magnetic  virtue,  by  which  they  sup- 
Jjose  it  can  operate  at  a  distance  ;  so  that  if  you  can  find 
4.his  vau  within  two  or  three  verses  it  may  suffice.  Others 
go  farther,  and  supposing  this  vau  to  be  often  omitted, 
allow  you  to  understand,  or  supply  one.  So  that  in  short, 
wherever  you  may  suppose  an  enallege  of  tenses,  you  have 
only  to  find  a  vixu  prefix  ;  or,  if  you  cannot  find,  you  may 
supply  one,  and  the  work  is  done.  Every  one  must  see 
the  futility  oi  these  rules,  and  their  tendency  to  perplex 
translators. 

2  Examine  for  instance,  Deut.  xxxii.  10 — 20;  Ps.  Ixxviii. 
36 — 41,  in  the  original. 


(     35     ) 
SECTION  III. 

ON  THE  HEBREW  MUSIC  AND  RECITATION. 

LET  us  now  enquire  into  the  primitive  method 
of  reciting  poetry.     Poetry,  being  in  a  peculiar 
manner  the  language  of  contemplation  and  devo- 
tion, appears  naturally  to  require   and  assume  a 
higher  tone,  and  sublimer  expression,  than  mei'C 
prose.     It  is  said  that  the    celebrated  president 
Edwards^  vfho  was  fond  of  retirement   and  soli- 
tary contemplation,  used  when  alone  in  the  woods 
of  North  America,  to  chaunt  forth  his  medita- 
tions ;  and  it  was  probably  the  case  \\\ih  the  first 
generations.    Milton  reckons  devotional  melody 
among  the  employments  of  our  first  parents,  in 
their  state  of  innocence. 

'  Their  oraisons  each  mormng  duly  paid 

'  In  various  style  ;  for  neither  various  style, 

'  Nor  holy  raptvire,  wanted  they  to  praise 

'  Their  Maker  in  fit  strains  pronounc'd,  or  sun^ 

*  Unmeditated  ;  such  prompt  eloquence 

*  Flow'd  from  their  lips,  in  prose,  or  numerous  verse, 

*  More  tunable  than  needed  lute  or  harp 
'  To  add  more  sweetness i.' 

Dr.  Blair  assumes  it  as  a  principle^,  '  that  the 
'  pronunciation  of  the  earliest  languages  was  ac- 
*  companied  with  more  gesticulation,  and  with 
'  more  and  greater  inflexions  of  voice  than  we  now 

I  Tar.  Lost,  book  v,  2  Lea.  VI. 


(     36     ) 

'  use  ^ ;  there  was  more  action  in  it ;  and  it  was 
'  more  upon  a  crying  or  singing  tone.'* 

The  union  of  poetry  and  music  among  the  He- 
brew prophets,  is  evident  from  their  commonly 
prophesying  with  instruments  of  music  ^ ;  and  that 
even  when  they  do  not  appear  capable  of  perform- 
ing themselves,  as  was  probably  the  case  of  Eli- 
sha,  who  called  for  a  minstrel  to  play  before  him, 
when  he  invoked  the  prophetic  spirit^. 

In  the  earliest  ages  of  the  Greeks,  we  find  the 
same  union  of  poetry  and  music  :  their  bards,  in 
imitation  of  the  Hebrew  prophets,  being  both  poets 
and  musicians,  and  (which  is  worthy  of  peculiar 
remark)  universally  claiming  a  degree  and  kind  of 
inspiration,  either  from  the  gods,  or  from  the 
muses  :  whence  St.  Paul,  in  accommodation  to 
their  own  style,  calls  the  Greek  poets,  their  pro- 
phets : — '  As  certain  of  their  own  prophets  have 
'  said*,*  referring,  as  is  supposed,  to  Aratus  and 
Cieanthes. 

These  Greek  prophets,  poets,  or  musicians;  it 
appears  originally  delivered  their  compositions  in 
a  kind  of  extemporaneous  melody,  accompanied 
upon  the  lyre.      So  did  in  particular,  Hesiod  and 

1  So  the  learned  Mr.  BlackwtU  supposes  that,  at  first, 
■mankind  '  uttered  their  %vords  in  a  much  higher  note  than  we 
'  do  now  ;  occasioned  by  their  falling  upon  them  under 
'  some  passion,  fear,  wonder,  or  pain.  Hence  A-J^ziv  signi« 
'  fied  at  first  simply  to  speak,  which  now,  with  a  small  va- 
'  riation,  D^Eiv,  signifies  to  sing.'  Enq.  into  the  Life  of  Ho- 
iner,  p.  38. 

^  I  Sam.  X.  2 — 12.     xix.  20 — 24. 

»  2  Kiners  iii.  15.  *  A6ls  xvii.  28. 


\ 


(     37     ) 

Homer ;  and  the  latter  in  describing  Demodocus 
(probably  intended  as  a  portrait  of  himself)  says, 

*  The  bard  advancing  meditates  the  lay  :' 

And  supposing  him  to  be  under  a  divine  influ- 
ence, adds, 

*  Taught  by  the  gods  to  please,  when  high  he  sings 
<  The  vocal  lay,  responsive  to  the  strings^.' 

It  should  even  seem  that  in  those  early  times, 
jiothing  but  poetry  was  sung  ?  and  poetry  in  no 
other  way  recited  ;  whence  to  recite  and  sing  be- 
came synonimous  in  poetic  language,  and  so  con- 
tinue to  the  present  day*.  Dr.  Blair  thinks  that 
even  the  declamation  of  the  Greek  and  Roman 
orators,  as  well  as  the  pronunciation  of  their  stage- 
a6lors,  '  approached  to  the  nature  of  a  recitative 
'  in  music,  and  was  capable  of  being  marked  in 
^  notes,  and  suppqrted  with  inetruments^.* 

This  inseparable  union  of  poetry  and  music  was 
preserved  in  many  nations  till  within  these  few 
ages  ;  and  is  in  some,  even  to  this  very  day.  The 
Druidical  and  Celtic,  German,  Gaelic,  British, 
Caledonian,  and  Hibernian  bards  and  minstrels, 
are  all  famous  in  the  page  of  history.  Mr.  Stew- 
ard, an  eminent  traveller*,  mentions  a  vestige  of 
extemporaneous  verses  and  singing  with  instru- 

*  Odys.  book  viii. 

'  Burneji's  Hist,  of  Music,  vol.   I.  p.   281,  and  note  (c) 
•  312.     Stillingjleet's  Orig.  Sac.  book.  I.  ch.  iv.  se6i,  I  ;  and 
JRousseau's  Di6l.  de  Mus.  in  Opera. 
'  Le6\.  vi.  vol.  I. 

*  IJarris's  Philological  Enquiries,  p.  286, 


(      38     ) 

mental  accompaniment,  as  a  kind  of  elegant  amuse- 
ment among  the  modern  Athenians,  of  which  he 
was  an  eye  and  ear  v/itness.  The  Barcarolles  (or 
extemporaneous  ballads)  of  the  gondoliers,  or 
Tvatermen  of  Venice,  are  famous  all  over  Italy  ; 
not  only  among  the  vulgar,  but  even  among  the 
most  celebrated  masters.  And  Ro  u  s  s e  a  u  tells  us, 
there  is  nothing  more  common  in  that  country, 
than  to  see  two  extemporary  musicians  challenge, 
attack  each  other,  and  form  alternate  couplets  on 
the  same  air,  with  a  vivacity  of  dialogue,  melody, 
and  accompaniment,  incredible  but  to  an  eye- 
witness'. 

Of  the  merits  of  the  Hebrew  music,  musical 
v/riters  have  indeed  formed  very  low  estimates, 
and  spoken  with  much  contempt.  '  To  speak 
'  freely  on  this  matter  (says  Sir  J.  Hawkins) 
'  whatever  advantages  this  people  might  derive 
'  from  the  instructions  of  an  inspired  law-giver, 
'  and  the  occasional  interpositions  of  the  Almighty, 
'  it  no  where  appears  that  their  attainments  in  li- 
'  terature  were  great,  or  that  they  excelled  in  any 
'  of  those  arts  that  attend  the  refinement  of  human 
'  manners.  With  respect  to  their  music,  there  is 
*  but  too  much  reason  to  suppose  it  was  very 
'barbarous.' 

As  to  literature^  where  shall  we  find  histori- 
ans, poets,  or  philosophers,  equal  to  Moses,  Isaiah, 
and  Solomon  ?  But  with  respect  to  their  music, 
I  beg  leave   to  'transcribe,  with  some  variation, 

^  Rouss.  Diet,  de  iSIubique,  in  Barcorclhs  and  Improfisare. 


(      39     ) 

the  observations  I  have  offered  on  this  subjeft  in 

another  work ' . 

First,  I  observe  that  the  Jews  appear  to  have 
been  always /o^c/  of  music.  Whatever  poUte  arts 
they  negle6led,  this  they  cultivated  to  the  utmost 
of  their  power,  even  from  the  lowest  to  the  high- 
est ranks.  Not  only  David  the  shepherd,  but 
David  the  king,  was  a  musician.  Solomon,  whe- 
ther or  not  a  performer  himself,  provided  singing 
men  and  singing  women,  with  abundance  of  in- 
struments*. The  prophets  generally,  if  not  al- 
ways, used  them,  and  music  was  taught  in  their 
schools,  the  only  seminaries  of  learning-  among  . 
the  Hebrews^. 

They  likewise  highly  honoured  those  who  were  • 
famous  in  this  art,  ranking  them  with  their  most 
illustrious   charafters.     Thus  the  son  of  Sirach, 

*  Let  us  praise   famous  men,  and  our  fathers  that 

*  begat  us.     Leaders  of  the  people  by  their  coun- 

*  sels,  and  by  their  knowledge  of  learning  meet  for 
'  the  people  ;   wise   and  eloquent  in  their  instruc- 

*  tions.     Such  as  found  out  musical  tunes  and  re- 
'  cited  verses  in  writing.     All  these  were  honour- 

*  ed  in  their  generations,  and  were  the  glory  of 

*  their  times*.' 

Neither  was  this  attention  to  music  merely  in 
obedience  to  the  divine  appointment,  since,  when 
they  degenerated  to  idolatry,  their  music  was  per- 
verted  too :    and    on    every    festival,  music  and 

Hisloi  ical  Essay  on  Church  Music  prefixed  to  Pfalmo- 
clia  Evan.  vol.  II.  p.  19.  and  seq.  ^  £ccles.  ii.  8. 

5  1  Sam.  X.  2 — 12.  xix.  20 — 24.  1  Kings,  xx.  35. 
2  Kings,  iii.  15.     1  Chron.  xxv.    1 — 3.  Psal.  xlix.  4. 

^  Ecclcs.  xliv.  1 — 7. 


(     40     ) 

dancing  seem  constantly  to  form  principal  parts  of 
their  employment.  Nor  is  their  attachment  to 
music  to  be  wondered  at.  Their  climate  was  warm, 
and  Dr.  Burney  repeatedly  tells  us,  that  the  in- 
habitants of  hot  countries  are  most  fond  of  music  * . 

2.  As  to  performers^  it  must  be  confessed  that 
the  human  voice  is  the  same  in  all  ages ;  and  if, 
in  their  present  state,  some  of  the  Jewish  nation 
have  not  only  gained  admiration  at  the  synagogue, 
but  applause  at  our  public  theatres'" ;  it  seems  no 
absurd  supposition,  that  their  ancestors,  in  a  state 
of  opulence  and  prosperity,  educated  in  the  study 
of  the  science,  and  patronised  by  the  most  liberal 
and  accomplished  princes,  might  be  capable,  if 
not  of  such  volubility  and  so  many  artificial  graces, 
yet  of  melodies  more  chaste,  and  tones  more 
charming  to  the  unvitiated  ear ;  and  it  is  granted 
by  the  best  judges,  that  no  kind  of  music  has  sO 
great  an  effect  on  the  human  passions. 

The  great  number  of  the  children  of  the  Le- 
vites^  would  always  provide  a  powerful  chorus  of 
treble  voices,  and  some  sele6l  ones,  with  those  of 
the  singing  women,  would  furnish  a  variety  for 
the  solo  parts.  The  Levites  also,  being  them- 
selves educated  to  music  in  a  very  early  period, 
and  many  of  them  devoted  wholly  to  that  employ- 

*  Gennan  Tour,  vol.  I.  page  3;   Hist.  vol.  IV.  5&5. 

^  Sig.  Leoni,  8<.c. 

^  The  ingenious  Mr.  Bedford  supposes  (Temple  music, 
p.  76 — 79)  that  this  expression  is  not  to  be  understood  lite- 
rally, but  of  the  singing  boys  their  disciples,  which  seems 
probable  from  every  family  containing  the  same  number. 
1  Chron.  xxv.  8—31. 


(     41     ) 

ment,  with  a  proper  provision  for  their  support,' 
would  have  every  desirable  opportunity  for  im- 
provement, 

3.  The  musical  instrumejits  of  the  Hebrews 
form  the  next,  and  a  very  curious  subje6l  of  en- 
quiry; The  Hebrew  musical  instruments,  as  in- 
deed all  others,  are  of  three  kinds;  Jiechiloth^  or 
wind-instruments,  neginoth^  or  stringed  instru- 
ments, and  the  timbrel,  tabret,  cymbal,  &:c.  which 
were  pulsative,  or  of  the  drum  kind;  Of  the 
former,  the  principal  is  the  organ  which  was  in- 
vented by  Jubal,  several  centuries  before  the  flood. 
This,  in  its  first  state,  was  probably  similar  to 
the  syrinx,  or  pipes  of  Pan,  com.posed  of  seve- 
ral reeds  of  unequal  lengths,  and,  consequently, 
different  sounds.  An  instrument  of  this  kind  has 
been  found  in  several  uncivilized  countries; 
and  though  it  may  bear  no  comparison  with  mo- 
dern 'instruments,  it  is  hard  to  say  to  what  per- 
fection it  might  be  carried  by  artists,  who  could 
devote  five  hundred  years,  or  more,  to  its  study 
and  improvement.  It  was  evidently  a  pastoral  in- 
strument, and  if  v.e  may  credit  the  additional 
psalm  in  the  Septuagint,  David  used  to  make  it 
when  a  shepherd.  Whether  the  Hebrews  ever 
conneded  a  bag  with  these  pipes  is  uncertain;  but 
Kircher  describes  what  he  calls  an  ancient  organ, 
consisting  of  a  row  of  pipes  in  a  chest,  blown  by 
a  pipe  instead  of  bellows,  and  probably  stopped 
with  the  fingers,  instead  of  keys. 

The  other  wind-instruments  were  chiefly  horns 
and  trumpets;    and  these,    no  doubt,  originally, 

F 


(     42     ) 

were  the  horns  of  animal,  and  chiefly  used  as  mili- 
tary music. 

Jubal^  the  antediluvian,  is  also  celebrated  as 
the  inventor  of  the  harp  or  Hebrew  lyre,  which 
was  the  most  ancient  of  stringed  instruments,  and 
a  great  favorite  of  the  Jewish  nation.  They  call 
it  the  pleasant  \i2ir]i^ ^  and  made  it  the  constant 
companion  of  their  pleasures  "^  as  well  as  devotion. 
It  is  supposed  that  this  instrument  was  improved 
to  a  considerable  degree  of  perfe6lion  by  the  E- 
gyptians,  at  a  period,  perhaps,  considerably  an- 
terior to  this' ;  and  there  seems  no  good  reason  to 
pronounce  the  Hebrew  harp  inferior  to  the  Egyp- 
tian, except  in  size.  David  and  the  Levites  often 
dancing  as  they  played,  shews  that  it  must  have 
been  with  them  a  portable  instrument. 

Joseph  us  ascribes  the  psaltery  to  Jubal,  as  well 
as  the  harp;  but  the  scriptures  never  mention  it 
till  the  time  of  David;  and  it  might  possibly  be 
one  of  the  instruments  lie  invented.  The  rabbins 
describe  this  instrument  in  a  form  not  unlike  that 
of  a  lantern,  which  may  be  true  of  a  more  modern 
instrument  under  the  same  name.  The  Hebrew 
name  nebel,  which  signifies  a  bottle,  jug,  or  flag- 
gon,  seenis  to  determine  its  shape  to  that  kind  of 
fisrure,  as  both  Jewish  and  Christian  writers  have 
observed ^.  Josephus  says  it  had  twelve  sounds, 
and  was  played  upon  by  the  fingers ;  herein  being 

1   Psal.  Ixxxi.  2.  2   Isa.  xxiv.  8. 

s   See  Burnvfs  Hist,  of  Music,  vol.  I-  p.  220*. 
4  Ainsworth,  in  Psal.    xxxiii.  2,  and  at  the  end  of  his 
annotations.     See  also  CalnieVs  Diet. 


(     43     ) 

distinguished  from  the  harp,  which  was  played 
with  a  plectrum\  i.  e.  a  piece  of  bone,  wire,  or 
quill ;  as  it  was  so  late  as  the  time  of  our  gieat 
king  Alfred.  Another  and  principal  difference, 
however,  probably  was,  that  the  former,  being  a 
weaker  instrument,  was  used  to  accompany  the 
female  voices  ;  and  the  latter  as  more  powerful, 
the  men,  who  sung  an  oclave  lower*. 

This  instrument  was  also  famous  among  the 
heathen,  who  esteemed  it  a  Phoenician  invention  ; 
and  Ovid  describes  it  as  turned  about  with  the 
hands  in  playing^.  From  these  circumstances  it 
should  seem  of  the  same  species  with  the  modern 
lute  or  mandoline,  having  perhaps  a  short  neck, 
and  the  back  rounded.  The  modern  Jews  use  the 
same  word  for  a  violin,  and  our  translators  have 
in  some  places  rendered  it  ^  viol'^.  David  men- 
tions an  instrument  of  ten  strings,  which  the  Tal- 
mud interprets  of  a  species  of  harp,  and  others  of 
the  psaltery  ;  but  it  should  seem  to  have  been  dis- 
tinguishable from  both,  though  perhaps  only  in 
some  trifling  circumstance ' . 

Among  the  instruments  used  to  accompany  the 
sacred  dances,  were  the  sbalisbim^  rendered  sim- 

^  Antiq.  lib.  vii.  cap.  12. 

2  So  is  commonly,  and  I  think  justly  understood,  the 
regulation  of  the  royal  psalmist,  1  Chron.  xv.  20,  21.  Cer- 
tain leaders  were  appointed  to  play  with  psaltery  on  ala- 
jnoth,  DTObybl?,  for  the  virgins,  /.  e.  to  accompany  their 
voices  ;  and  others  with  harps,  on  the  sheminoth,  for  the  oc-^ 
tave  voices,  /.  e.  the  men,  who  sung  an  oSlave  lo*wer. 

*  See  Parkhurst's  Hebrew  Lexicon,  in  bS3. 

*  Isa.  V.  12.  xiv,   1 1.     Amos  v.  23.  vi.  5. 
?  See  Psal.  xeii.  3. 


(     44     ) 

ply  instruments  of  music ' ,  which  probably  M'ere 
steel  triangles,  such  as  are  used  by  our  street  mu- 
sicians, with  or  without  the  addition  of  rings,  to 
assist  the  tinkling.  Some  critics,  however,  chuse 
to  render  this  word,  by  the  same  rule  of  interpre- 
tation with  the  preceding,  iui  instrument  of  three 
strings. 

Of  the  third  class  of  instruments  we  have  the 
toph,  timbrel,  or  tabret.  This  apT)ears  to  have 
been  exactly  the  same  instrument  as  the  Syrian 
diff,  or  modern  tambourine^  which  has  lately  been 
introduced  among  us  as  a  companion  to  tlie  barrel 
organ.  This  also  was  the  usual  accompaniment 
of  dancing,  whether  secular  or  sacred. 

Their  cymbals  appear  to  have  been  of  two  kinds, 
the  tzilzcll  shamagh  and  tzilzell  temgah^  the 
/cz/f/- sounding  and  the  /6i§->6-sounding  cymbaP, 
which  were  probably  distinguished  by  the  size  ; 
the  former,  being  the  larger,  and  that  used  on  the 
grandest  occasions,  having  been  also  lately  intro- 
duced into  our  military  bands,  as  a  part  of  the 
Turkish  music,  needs  no  description  ;  every  per- 
son who  has  heard  it,  must  be  sensible  of  its  so- 
lemn and  peculiar  effeels,  as  an  accompaniment 
to  other  instruments. 

This  enumeration  of  the  Hebrew  instruments 
may  be  suilicient  to  shew  their  powers  ;  and  when 
great  numbers  of  them  v/ere  united,  and  accom- 
panied with  hundreds,  or  thousands  of  human 
voices,  which  would  greatly  cover  their  imperfec- 
tion, their  chorus  must  have  been  highly  anima- 

J    i  Sam.  xviii,  6.  ^  Psal.  cl.  3. 


(     45     ) 

ting,  whether  in  the  temple  or  in  the  camp.  We 
may,  also,  in  a  great  measure  infer  the  probable 
excellency  of  the  Hebrew  music  from  the  euphony 
of  their  language,  and  the  sublimity  of  their  poe- 
try. On  the  former,  some  learned  men  have  pro- 
nounced very  warm  eulogiums ' ,  and  if  we  might 
be  allowed  to  form  a  judgment  from  the  few  words, 
such  as  Amen,  Hallelujah,  &c.  which  have  been 
adopted  into  our  own  and  many  other  languages, 
nothing  can  be  better  adapted  for  musical  expres- 
sion. It  is,  however,  very  difficult  to  judge  of 
the  pronunciation  of  a  language  that  must  have 
undergone  so  many  changes  ;  and  has  been,  in  a 
manner,  a  dead  language  for  so  many  ceuturies. 

As  to  the  Hebrew  poetry,  Mr.  Addison,  a 
critic  of  the  first  rank  in  literature,  has  pronounced 
the  Hebrew  hymns  and  odes  to  excel  those  that 
are  delivered  down  to  us  by  the  ancient  Greeks 
and  Romans  in  the  poetry,  as  much  as  in  the  sub- 
je6l  to  which  it  was  consecrated.  This  may  be 
made  obvious,  even  to  an  English  reader  :  let  the 
Bible  version  of  the  psalms  and  prophecies,  under 
all  the  disadvantages  of  its  being  literal,  and  some- 
times inaccurate,  be  compared  with  the  highly 
finished  versions  of  Virgil  and  Homer,  by  Dry- 
den  and  Pope,  and  that  person  must  have  either 
very  strong  prejudices,  or  a  very  weak  judgment, 
who  does  not  immediately  perceive  the  superiority 
of  the  former^. 

1  Univ.  Hist.  vol.  III.  201,  and  note  N. 

'  See  SpeClator,  vol.  VI.  No.  405,  453.  ^ 


(     46     ) 

Nor  must  this  be  imputed  solely  to  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  writers,  since  there  is  as  much  differ- 
ence in  their  style  as  between  that  of  men  unin- 
spired. Moses,  David,  and  Amos,  differ  nearly 
as  Milton,  Watts,  and  Bunyan.  So,  in  the  New 
Testament,  there  is  a  manifest  difference  between 
Peter,  Luke,  and  Paul.  The  Spirit  of  inspira- 
tion, doubtless,  raised  and  improved  their  intel- 
lectual powers,  but  did  not  annihilate  them.  One 
was  sublime  and  nervous  ;  a  second,  sententious 
and  concise ;  a  third,  elegant  and  diffuse  ;  all 
beautiful,  though  various.  Thus,  '  There  is  one 
*  glory  of  the  sun,  another  of  the  moon,  and  ano- 
'  ther  of  the  stars.' 

The  excellence  of  the  Hebrew  poetry  may  be 
urged  in  favour  of  the  language,  and  both  in  fa- 
vour of  their  music.  Sublime  and  beautiful  com- 
positions are  seldom  produced  in  rude  and  inhar- 
monious languages,  and  poetry  is  rarely  cultivated 
where  music  is  greatly  neglecled.  This  remark 
has  greater  force  in  reference  to  former  times, 
when  the  professions  M^ere  united,  than  to  the 
present,  when  they  are  distin61:.  It  is  very  diffi- 
cult to  suppose,  that  the  most  poetic  nation  in  the 
world  should  be  unmusical  ;  or  that  the  inimitable 
odes  of  Moses,  David,  and  Isaiah  should  be  com- 
posed to  '  very  barbarous'  music. 

The  investigation  of  the  Jewish  musical  theory 
would  be  foreign  to  our  present  purpose.  If  the 
diatonic  scale  be  that  of  Nature,  as  Lord  Bacon 
says%  it  is  natural  to  suppose  it  the  most  ancient, 

1  Natural  Hist,  page  30. 


(     47     ) 

not  only  in  the  world,  but  in  every  country  ;  and 
this  notion  very  well  agrees  with  the  few  frag- 
ments of  ancient  music  still  remaining. 

From  the  construiftion  of  the  syrinx  or  Hebrew 
organ,  of  a  regular  series  of  pipes,  it  should  seem 
that  they  used  the  whole  o6lave,  withotit  omitting 
the  natural  semi-tones,  as  in  the  old  Greek  enhar- 
monic, the  Chinese  and  ancient  Scottish  scales*  ; 
and  this  idea  is  rendered  more  probable  from  the 
number  of  strings  on  some  of  their  instruments, 
which  we  know  to  have  been  at  least  ten  in 
David's  time,  when  scarcely  half  that  number 
was  used  in  Greece. 

As  to  the  length  of  their  notes^  it  is  certain 
that  formerly  the  duration  of  sounds  was  always 
regulated  by  the  length  of  the  syllables  to  which 
they  were  adapted.  These  among  the  Greeks  were 
of  two  sorts,  long  and  short.  The  modern  Jews, 
however,  have  vowels  of  four  different  lengths  ; 
and  Mr.  Bedford  supposes,  that  the  ancient  He- 
brews had  as  great  a  variety  in  their  musical  notes  ^ . 

It  is  generally  believed,  and  not  without  reason, 
that  the  most  ancient  method  of  singing  was  a  spe- 
cies of  chanty  or  recitative ;  yet  in  the  only  text 
in  which  our  translators  have  used  the  word  chant 
(in  the  margin  quaver)  it  seems  to  intend  an  arti- 
ficial running  of  divisions ' . 


's> 


1   Burnej\   Hist,  of  Music,  vol.  I.    p.  37,  3  8,  and  497  ; 
compare  also  p.  226.* 

*  'I'emple  Music,  p.  29. 

*  Amos,  vi.  5.  See  Parkhurst's  Hebrew  Lexicon,  p.  54fi. 


,       (     48     ) 

That  harmony^  in  the  modern  sense  of  the  term, 
as  implying  music  in  different  parts  was  known  to 
the  ancient  Hebrews,  there  appears  to  me  little 
reason  to  suppose,  since  we  are  informed  that  the 
great  number  of  voices  and  instruments  employed 
at  the  dedication  of  Solomon's  temple  made  but 

*  one  sound'.'  This,  hov.ever,  must  be  suppo- 
sed to  include  octaves  (as  it  may  with  strict  pro- 
priety) for  the  treble  and  bass  voices,  as  well  as 
instruments,  would  certainly  be  in  diapason.  The 
musical  notation  of  the  Hebrews  is  another  very 
curious  subject  of  enquiry.  *  Neither  the  ancient 
'  Jews,  nor  the  modern  (says  Dr.  Burney)  have 

*  ever  had  charaiSlers  peculiar  to  music  ;  so  that 
'  the  melodies  used  in  their  religious  ceremonies 

*  have  at  all    times  been  traditional,  and  at  the 

*  mercy  of  the   singers.     The  Canonica  Caisalca 

*  is  however  of  opinion,  that  the  points  of  the 
'  Hebrew  language  were  at  first  musical  characters ; 

*  and  this  conjecture  has  been  confirmed  to  me 
'  (adds  the  doctor)   by  a  learned  Jew,  whom   I 

*  have  consulted  on  that  subjeft,  who  says,  that 
'  the  points  still  serve  two  pm-poses  ;  in  reading 
*•  the  prophets  they  merely  mark  accentuation  ; 
'  in  singing  them  they  regulate  the  melody,  not 
'  only  as  to  long  and  short,  but  high  and  low 
'  notes^.'  This  is  a  common  opinion  among  the 
Jews,  and  is  perhaps  not  totally  without  foundation. 
The  opinion  however,  which  now  prevails  among 
the  learned  is,  that  the  ancient  Hebrews  were  not 

'  2  Chvon.  V.  13.  2  Hist,  of  Music,  vol.  I.  251. 


(     49    ) 

a<>qualnted  either  with  the  points  or  accents,  but 
that  they  have  been  invented  by  the  Jewish  doctors 
since  the  Christian  sera'. 

If  we  were  to  consider  the  effects  of  the  Jewish 
music,  particularly  in  the  case  of  Saul,  and  its  ge- 
neral  influence  over  the  dispositions  of  the  people, 
we  might  safely  compare  them  with  any  that  can 
be  well  attested  in  the  Grecian  history.  We  might 
also  enlarge  on  the  degree  of  refinement  to  which 
this  and  other  arts  were  carried  in  the  elegant  court 
of  Solomon,  and  the  notice  afterwards  taken  of 
the  '  Songs  of  Sion'  among  their  eastern  conquer- 
ors*. But  these  circumstances  would  lead  us  in- 
to a  very  extensive  field  of  enquiry ;  we  shall  there- 
fore conclude  with  observing,  that, 

On  the  whole — If  the  Jews  were  a  nation  much 
attached  to  music — if  their  dispensation  had  pecu- 
liar advantages  for  its  cultivation — if  their  voices 
and  instruments  were,  at  least,  equal  to  those  of 
any  other  cotemporary  nation^ — if  their  language 
was  euphonic,  and  their  poetry  sublime — if  the 
effe6ls  of  their  music  were  considerable,  and  its 
fame  extended  to  foreign  countries — -it  may  cer- 
tainly deserve  a  better  epithet  than  that  of  'uery 
barbarous :  it  must  have  been  at  least  equal  to 
that  of  any  of  the  ancient  nations . 

In  addition  to  the  above  Observations  on  the 
Hebrew  music,  I  would  only  add  a  few  remarks 
©n  the  manner  in  which  it  was  conduced. 

*  Encyq.  Brit,  in  Accent,  Ps.  cxxxvii.  3. 

G 


(    so    ) 

Above  fifty  of  the  Psalms, are  directed,  as  our 
translators  express  it,  to  the  chief  musician. 
There  appear,  indeed,  to  have  been  several  lead- 
ers upon  the  different  instruments  of  music ; 
among  these  Asaph  seems,  in  David's  time,  to 
have  been  the  chief,  and  it  is  particularly  said  of 
him,  that  he  played  the  cymbals.  I  conceive  the 
performers  to  have  been  placed  in  two  choirs,  as 
in  our  cadiedrals  ;  and  that  the  Psalms  were  most 
of  them  in  dialogue,  so  that  the  choirs  answered 
to  each  other,  und  then  joined  in  chorus.  This 
chief  musician  (Asaph,  for  instance)  I  suppose  to 
have  stood  at  the  end^  with  the  cymbals,  by  which 
he  dire6led  the  performers,  and  when  he  wished 
a  hold  or  pause,  to  produce  any  particular  effe6l, 
or  perhaps  any  particular  change  in  the  perform- 
ance, he  elevated  his  hands  with  the  cymbals  (as 
we  see  the  Turkish  musicians  frequently  do) ; 
and  this  I  take  to  be  the  precise  meaning  of  the 
word  s€lah^  which  has  so  much  perplexed  the 
commentators  ^ , 

By  the  titles  of  the  Psalms  it  appears  that  some 
of  them  were  more  particularly  designed  to  be  ac- 
companied by  stringed^   and  others  by  ivitid  in- 

*  The  manner  in  which  the  ancient  versions  have  ren- 
dered these  words  has  puzzled  the  critics  as  much  as  the 
words  themselves.  The  LXX,  for  instance,  render  mTr^ 
tia-  T9  T£>voo-,  to  the  end  [kzhh],  by  whom  1  suppose  they 
meant  the  leader,  who  was  placed  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
the  choir.  The  word  nbo,  they  render  by  A/a4/a£?.fx,a,  which 
expresses  not  so  properly  the  literal  meaning  of  the  word, 
as  its  design— a  change  in  the  performance,  or  a  deviation 
in  the  time. 


(     51     ) 

struments'.  This,  though  it  may  appear  a  tri- 
fling distinclion  in  itself,  might  be  of  some  irapor- 
tance  to  ascertain  the  nature  of  the  poetic  compo- 
sition. This  idea  was  suggested  by  a  hint  of  Sir 
W.  Jones*,  who  observes  that  the  music  of  the 
Greeks  was  accompanied  with  different  instru- 
ments, according  to  the  different  modes,  as  the 
Phrygian  with  the  sound  of  trumpets,  Sec.  So 
that  a  Phrj^gian  was  a  trumpet-air,  a  Lydian  a  flute- 
air,  and  so  of  the  rest.  If  any  thing  like  this  ob- 
tained among  the  Hebrews,  the  scringed  instru- 
ments probably  accompanied  the  more  cheerful 
strains,  and  the  softer  wind  instruments,  as  the 
organ,  &c.  the  more  plaintive. 

We  have  supposed  the  Hebrew  Psalms  were 
performed  in  dialogue,  and  this  rests  not  merely 
on  supposition.  On  some  occasions  we  know 
that  they  answered  one  another,  and  then  doubt- 
less joined  in  chorus.  But  as  this  subje6l  may 
be  resumed,  when  we  come  to  consider  the  Song 
of  Solomon  as  a  sacred  drama,  I  shall  here  con- 
elude  the  present  se6lion,  and  with  it,  our  first 
Introductory  Essay. 

1  Those  for  stringed  instruments  are  Ps.  iv.  vi.  liv.  See. 
But  one  only  is  marked  for  wind  instruments,  namely,  Ps.  v. 

'  Essay  II.  added  to  his  Asiatic  Poems. 


(     52     ) 
ESSAY    IL 


ON    THE   NATURE,    DESIGN,   AND  DIVINE  AU- 
THORITY OF  SOLOMON'S  SONG. 

We  now  bend  our  attention  to  the  second  ge- 
neral obje6t  of  enquiry,  which  will  comprehend 
several  particulars,  viz. — the  author  and  antiquity 
of  this  book-— the  occasion  on  which  it  was  com- 
posed— the  nature  of  the  piece — the  images  em- 
ployed— the  allegorical  design-^he  inspiration  of 
the  book — and  an  historical  sketch  of  the  com- 
mentaries upon  it. 


SECTION  L 

Let  us  enquire  first  for  the  author  of  this  po- 
em, and,  in  so  doing,  endeavour  to  ascertain  its 
antiquity^  and,  as  nearly  as  possible,  its  date.  I 
admit  that  the  titles  of  the  sacred  books  of  the  Old 
or  New  Testament,  are  not  always  either  of  di- 
vine authority,  or  of  very  high  antiquity  :  but 
this  I  think  is  clearly  so,  as  being  a  part  of  the 
the  book  itself,  and  forming  the  first  verse  of  it, 
which  runs  thus :  *  The  Song  of  Songs,  w^hich 
'is  Solomon's,'  or  of  Solomon.  The  onl}'' 
question  here  is,  whether  the  prefix  lamed  employ- 
ed in  the  original,  intimate  that  it  was  written  by. 


(     53     ) 

or  concerning,  Solomon.  Admitting  that  it  may 
sometimes  bear  the  latter  rendering,  it  is,  I  think, 
comparatively  very  seldom;  its  certain,  usual,  and 
authorized  meanings  are,  to,  for,  liiith,  or  by, 
answering  to  the  dative  and  ablative  cases,  which 
are  "(if  we  may  apply  the  term  cases  to  that  lan- 
guage) usually  blended  in  the  Hebrew,  as  well  as 
in  the  Greek.  That  lamed  is  used  for  by,  as  indi- 
cating the  author,  appears  from  the  titles  of  the 
Psalms,  and  other  Hebrew  poems.  Thus  several 
of  them  are  said  to  be  psalms  of  (or  by)  David, 
and  they  are  attributed  to  him  in  the  New  Testa- 
ynent,  both  by  our  Lord  and  his  apostles'.  So 
we  read  of  psalms  of  Asaph,  of  Solomon  %  and 

1  Math.  xxii.  43,  A£ls,  ii.  25,  Sec. 

?  The  principal  argument  I  am  aware  of  in  favor  of  un- 
derstanding this  prefix  (b),  in  the  sense  of  concerning,  is, 
that  it  is  so  used  in  the  title  of  Ps.  Ixxii.  which  seems  by 
the  last  verse  to  be  written  by  David — '  the  prayers  of  Da- 
vid, the  son  of  Jesse,  are  ended.' — To  this  I  answer, 

1.  That  some  of  the  best  critics  and  expositors  under- 
stand this,  not  as  if  it  were  the  last  of  David's  Psalms  (for 
that  is  not  said),  but  as  containing  the  result  and  comple- 
tion of  his  prayers ;  as  if  the  universality  of  Messiah's 
kingdom  was  the  end,  the  sum,  the  accomplishment  of 
David's  prayers  [Vide  Poli  Syn.  Crit.],  or  that  this  was 
the  last  subje«S\:,on  which  David  prophesied,  as  we  see  iix 
2  Sam.  xxiii.  1.  [^Ainswortli].  If  either  of  these  senses  be 
admitted,  it  will  not  prove  that  David  was  the  author. 

2.  Dr.  Durell  imagines  this  verse  to  be  an  interpolation ; 
but  I  think  it  would  be  much  more  correal  to  suppose  it 
the  note  of  some  ancient  Jewish  transcriber,  who  took  the 
psalm  (as  many  have  done)  for  the  last  which  he  composed. 
That  it  is  no  genuine  part  of  the  psalm,  is  I  think  suffi- 
piently  evident  from  the  conclusion  of  the  preceding  verse 
with  a  double   Amen.     So  the    1st  book  (as  the  Jews  di- 


(     54     ) 

of  Hcman;  of  the  prayers  of  Moses,  of  Habba- 
kuk,  &c.;  which  certainly  cannot  mean  prayers 
concerning  those  prophets.  This  sense  is  also 
confirmed  by  the  ancient  versions,  and  particu- 
larly by  the  Septuagint.  The  other  rendering 
concerning  Solomon,  clearly  originated  with  the 
allegorical  rabbins,  and  Christian  fatliers,  who  at- 
tributing the  poem  to  the  Messiah,  as  the  antitype 
of  Solomon;,  availed  themselves  of  the  equivoca- 
tion of  the  Hebrew  prefix  as  an  argument  in  their 
favour.     I  admit  their  hypothesis,  but  shall  en- 

ride  it)  ends  with  Ps.  xli — the  od  with  Ps.  Ixxxix — the 
4th  with  Ps.  cvi.  all  with  double  amen,  as  this  concludes 
the  2d  book — -Farther,  this  verse  does  not  appear  to  be 
poetry,  as  are  the  preceding,  and  is  therefore  omitted  in 
the  poetic  versions  of  Buchanan,  Dr.  Watts,  INIrs.  Rowe, 
kc.  as  it  is  also  in  the  comment  of  Bp.  Home,  Avho  takes 
no  notice  of  it.  As  to  the  ancient  versions,  it  is  inserted 
i^i  the  LXX.  but  omitted  in  the  Arabic,  which  instead  of  it 
inserts  }ialle!ujah. 

3.  Admitting  the  disputed  verse  in  its  common  accepta- 
tion, it  yet  will  not  prove  that  the  preceding  psalm  was 
David's,  for  we  know  that  the  50th  psalm,  which  falls  into 
the  same  book,  was  Afaph's.  It  is  true  the  LXX  under- 
stand the  above  psalm  to  be  David's,  [iia]  for  Solomon ; 
but  the  Chaldee  paraphrase  says,  '  This  psalm  was  given 
'  by  the  hand  of  Solomon  in  prophecy,'  namely,  of  the  Mes- 
siah ;  and  I  conceive  the  internal  evidence  of  the  psalm 
leads  the  same  way — r<  Give  the  king  thy  judgments,  O 
'  God,  and  thy  righteousness  to  the  king's  son,'  /.  e.  give 
me,  the  son  of  David,  who  am  now  king  in  his  stead, 
the  communication  of  wisdom  and  grace  to  reign,  and  to 
be  a  proper  type  of  my  great  descendant  the  Messiah— 
for  it  is  chiefly  of  his  kingdom  that  the  author  speaks,  as 
the  ancient  Jews  readily  confess.  In  Ps.  xxi.  David  prays 
roQ^cerning  himself  in  a  similar  manner — '  The  king  shall 
'  joy  in  thy  strength,  O  Lord,'  Sec, 

4.  Since  writing  the  above,  I  find  Michaelis  is  of  opini- 
on '  that  this  is  the  end  of  the  first  coIle6lion  of  psalms, 
'  which  was  made,  probably  uuder  Solomon,  for  the   ser-* 

vice  of  the  temple.' 


(     55     ) 

deavour  to  vindicate  it  from  better  authority,  be- 
cause I  disdain  to  employ  an  argument  which  ap- 
pears to  me  fanciful,  untenable,  and  invented  only 
to  serve  a  turn. 

In  this  Song  of  Solomon,  the  Seventy  take  the 
lamed,  as  they  do  in  the  Psalms,  for  the  sign  of  its 
author,  and  render  it  like  our  translators ' .  Even 
those  critics,  who  incline  to  the  other  rendering, 
which  makes  Christ  (the  true  Solomon)  the  sul^- 
ject  of  the  song,  are  yet  disposed  to  include  the 
literal  Solomon  as  its  author,  and  this  is  certainly 
the  case  as  to  the  Jewish  writers,  as  we  may  have 
further  occasion  to  observe. 

Now  that  Solomon  composed  a  great  variety 
of  songs  or  poems,  we  are  told  by  the  inspired  au- 
thor of  the  book  of  Kings^,  who  enumerates  them 
at  '  one  thousand  and  five ;'  some  of  these  we  per- 
haps have  in  the  book  of  Psalms — others  may  be 
included  in  the  books  of  Proverbs  and  Ecclesiastes 
— and  the  rest  lost,  or  perhaps,  as  being  only  the 
extemporaneous  effusions  of  his  genius,  were  ne- 
ver committed  to  writing;  but  this  is  called  '  the 
Song  of  Songs,'  as  being  the  most  considerable 
and  important ;  or,  for  the  peculiar  excellency  of 
its  subject  % 

*  O  i(TTi  laXzj^.-av.  The  Syriac  calls  it,  '  The  wisdom  of 
'  wisdoms  of  the  same  Solomon,'  /.  e.  the  same  who  wrote 
the  Proverbs  and  Ecclesiastes. 

'    1  Kings,  iv.  32-.  comp.  Ecclus.   xlvii.  17. 

'  So  Holy  of  holies,  King  of  kings,  Heaven  of  heavens, 
and  more  particularly,  *  Ornament  of  ornaments,'  Ez.ek. 
xvi.  7. 


(     56     ) 

Having  shewn  that  this  poem  claims  Solomort 
for  its  auihor,  and  that  this  claim  was  admitted 
and  recognized  by  the  most  ancient  versions,  we 
may  now  consider  what  has  been  objected  to  it. 
The  first  objection  is,  that  Josephus  does  not  men- 
tion this  among  the  sacred  books;  but  the  fa6l  is, 
he  names  none  of  them  distin6lly  and  expressly.' 
His  words  are,  '  We  have  t\\'o-and-t\\enty  books 

*  which  justly  claim  our  belief  and  confidence.    Of 

*  these,  Jive  are  the    books  of  Moses — thirteen^ 

*  the  books  of  the  prophets — and  four  more  con- 

*  tain  h3-mns  to  God,  and  admonitions  for  the  cor- 

*  re6tion  of  human  life.'  The  question  is,  which 
are  the  four  last?  We  reckon,  1.  The  Psalms,  2; 
Proverbs,  3.  Ecclesiastes,  and,  4.  The  Song  of 
Solomon:  and  because  the  Psalms  were  placed 
first,  and  are  the  most  considerable,  these  four 
books,  appear  to  have  been  all  anciently  compre- 
hended under  this  name :  so  our  Lord  distino-uishes 

o 

the  sacred  books  into  the  Law,  the  Prophets,  and 
the  Psalms'.  These  books,  sometimes  including 
others,  are  also  called  the  hagiographa  or,  sacred 
writings,  not  comprehended  in  the  law  and  the 
prophets.     I  am  aware  that,  in  order  to  exclude 

*  the  Song  of  Songs'  from  this  canon,  some  chuse 
to  introduce  Joh  as  one  of  the  four  books;  but 
this  appears  to  me  arbitrary,  and  hypothetical, 
since  jfob  ranks  as  properly  among  the  historical 


1  Dr.  Prif.stley  says,  '  There  can  be  no  doiil>t  but  that 
'  the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament  was  the  same  in  the  time 
of  our  Saviour  as  it  is  now.'  Institutes  of  Rel.  (1782) 
vol.  I.  p.  297. 


(     57     ) 

books,  Joshua,  Judges,  &c.  which  Josephus  iri« 
chides  under  the  general  name  of  prophetic  wri- 
tings ' 

It  has  indeed  been  suggested,  by  Vohaire 
and  others,  that  the  divine  authority  of  this  book 
was  doubted  in  the  primitive  Christian  churchy 
arid  particularly  by  Theodorus  of  Mopsuestia  ;  but 
when  the  fa6l  comes  to  be  examined,  it  can  only 
be  proved  that  he  reje6led  its  allegorical,  ex- 
plication, and  thought  it  difficult  to  explain^. 
This  Theodore,  however,  lived  in  the  middle  of 
the  sixth  century  ;  and  his  opinion  was  generally 
condemned  by  the  other  doctors  of  the  church  : 
whereas  Melito,  bishop  of  Sardis,  before  the 
middle  of  the  second  century,  without  hesitation 
enumerates  the  Canticles  among  the  sacred 
books  then  universally  received'.. 

Another  objecl:ion  alledged  against  the  antiqui- 
ty of  this  book  is,  that  the  name  of  David  is  spelt 
in  the  original  with  2tyod,  according  to  the  man- 
ner of  spelling  it  after  the  captivity.  But  as  this 
name  occurs  but  once,  I  cannot  see  with  what  pro-- 
priety  this  circumstance  can  be  insisted  on  by 
critics  who  maintain  that  the  present  Hebrew  is 
full  of  literal  mistakes  of  far  greater  importance  ; 
rior  should  I  have  thought  it  worth  an  answer,  but 
for  the   respedlable  name   from  which  it  comes. 

*  See  Coj/rti's  Scholaftic  Hiftory  of  the  Canon  of  the 
Holy  Scripture,  p.  i2— 15.  and  Gill's  Expofition  (not  Coitii. 
tnent.)  p.  8. 

*  f/W/cj's  Vindication  of  the  Sacred  Books,  p.  455 — ;8. 

3  Co5<ni's  Sehol.  Hist.  p.  33.  Eufeb.-  Hist.  Eccl.  lib-  iv^ 
cap.  z&r 

H 


(     58     ) 

However,  as  the  subje^l:  is  a  very  dry  one,  I  shall 
throw  it  into  the  margin,  where  the  reader  will 
find  it  completely  answered  by  the  very  learned 
Dr.  Gill. ^ 


'  '  Dr.  Kciuucot  [Dissert.  I.  p.  20.]  observes  that  the  word 
David,  from  its  iirst  appearance  in  Ruth,  where  it  is  writ- 
ten (*T'"i)  without  the  yod,  continues  to  be  fo  written 
through  the  books  of  Samuel,  Kings,  Fsalms,  Proverbs, 
Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  Ezekiel  ;  but  appears  with  a  yod 
(l/n)  in  the  books  of  Chronicles,  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and 
Zacha.riah  ;  wherefore  ho  sugj^ests,  that  if  it  was  culloma- 
ry  to  write  this  word  without  a  yod  till  the  captivity,  and 
with  one  afte-r  it  ;  then  he  thinks  a  strong  avgument  may 
be  dravv'n  from  hence  against  the  antiquity  of  the  C^inticles 
and  its  being  made  by  .Solomon,  since  this  name  is  written 
with  a  jorfin  Canticles,  iv.  4.  the  only  place  in  it  in  which  it 
is  ufed  ;  but  in  anfwer  to  this,  it  muft  be  laid,  it  is  not  fact ^ 
that  the  word  is  universally  used  without  a  yod  in  the 
books  mentioned,  particularly  the  books  of  Kings  :  for  the 
authors  of  the  Masscrah  have  observed  on  1  Kings  iii.  14. 
that  it  is  five  times  written yw//,  as  they  call  it  ;  /.  e.  with 
the  yod.  Three  of  the  places  I  have  traced  out,  (i  Kings' 
iii.  14.  xi.  4,  36.)  and  have  found  it  fo  written  in  all  the 
printed  copies  I  have  feen  ;  and  so  it  is  read  by  the  eastern 
Jews  in  Ezek.  xxxvii.  24.  and  in  several  printed  editions 
of  Ezek.  xxxiv.  23.  This  learned  man  is  aware  that  it  is 
so  written  once  in  Hosca,  and  twice  in  Amos,  books 
written  200  years  before  the  captivity  ;  but  then  he  ob- 
serves, that  in  the  two  last  places,  in  Bomberg's  edition, 
it  has  a  little  circle  (°)  to  mark  it  for  an  error,  or  a  faulty- 
word,  though  none  over  the  word  in  Hosea  :  but  it  fhould 
be  known  that  that  circle,  in  hundreds  of  places,  is  not 
used  to  point  out  any  thing  faulty  in  the  copy  ;  but  is  only 
a  mark  referring  to  the  margin,  and  what  is  observed 
there  ;  and  be  it,  that  it  does  point  out  an  error,  or  a  faul- 
ty word,  the  same  circle  is  over  the  word  in  Canticles, 
and  consequently  shews  it  to  be  faulty  there,  and  to  be 
corrected  and  read  without  the  yod  ;  which  observation 
deflroys  the  argument  from  it  ;  and  so  it  is  read  in  that 
place  of  the  Talmud  without  it,  and  in  the  ancient  book 
of  Zohar :  ....  so  th.at  upon  the  whole  the  argument, 
if  it  has  any  force  i;i  it,  turns  out  for,  and  not  againft,  the 
antiquity  of  Solomon's  Song.  But  this  matter  stands  in 
a  clearer  light  by  observing  the  larger  MaiTorah  on  1  Kings 
xi.  4.  and  on  Ezek.  xxxiv.  23.   m   which  the   five  places 


(     59     ) 

-  As  to  the  use  of  a  fewChaldee  and  Syriacwords» 
or  forms  of  words,  in  this  book,  it  can  only  prove 
that  the  author  was  acquainted  with  some  of  i  the 
kindred  dialects  ;  and  sometimes  embellished  his 
poetry  with  foreign  ornaments,  perhaps  chiefly 
for  the  sake  of  the  rhythm,  or  the  pronunciation ; 
just  as  the  Greeks  intermixed  their  diale6ls,  which 
differed  nearly  as  these  neighbouring  eastern  lan- 
guages. The  same  kind  of  argument  might  be 
employed  against  the  writings  of  David,  and  other 
prophets,  as  well  as  against  other  pieces  of  the 
same  writer. 

Let  us  next  enquire  what  internal  evidence 
can  be  drawn  from  the  book  itself,  particularly 
from  the  poetic  imagery,  to  ascertain  its  high  an- 
tiquity, and,  in  some  degree,  its  author.  One 
might  be  tempted  to  suppose,  that  those  who  place 
this  among  the  books  written  in  or  after  the  capti- 
vity, mustneverhave  read  it.  The  beautiful  objects 
of  art,  from  which  great  part  of  the  imagery  is  taken 
were  then  doubtless,  in  great  measure,  in  a  state 
of  decay.  The  towers  of  David  and  of  Lebanon, 
the  fish-pools  of  Heshbon,  the  vineyards  of  Enged- 
di,  and  various  other  things  and  places  referred  to, 
tnust  have  been  greatly  injured  by  time,  had 
they  not  falkn  into  the  hands  of  a  foreign  enemy  : 
hut  after  the  city  had  been  plundered  and  burned, 


^  are  mentioned  where  this  word  is  written  full,  1   Kings, 

*  iii.  14.  xi.  36.      Cant.  iv.  4.  Ezck.   xxxiv.  23.     In  which 

*  places  this  word  was  originally  so  written,  as  well  as 
'  throughout  Chronicles,  the  twelve  prophets,  and  Ezra  :  so 
'  that  in  all  these  places  it  is  marked  not  as  a  faulty  word, 
'  but  as  rightly  written,  though  different  from  what  itisin 

*  other  places.'    Gill's  Exposit.  p.  12,  13.  3d  edit. 


(     60     ) 

it  is  impossible  to  suppose  that  they  remained  en- 
tire ;  much  less  obje6ls  for  poetic  composition. 
Beside,  this  \\'as  not  atime  to  celebrate  marriages, 
and  write  nuptial  poems  :  the  poetic  compositi- 
ons of  this  period  were  elegies  and  lamentations  ; 
psalms  of  confession,  and  earnest  supplications  of 
divine  mercy.  Nor  can  an  author  be  pointed  out 
in  this  period  to  whom  the  book  can  with  any  pro- 
bability be  referred.  There  is  also,  in  the  last 
chapter,  if  I  rightly  understand  it,  a  reference  to 
the  sacrificial  flame,  which  strongly  implies  that  it 
liad  not  been  then  extinguished^ 

Again,  as  some  of  thefe  images  carry  us  above 
the  captivity,  others  will  carry  us  up  to  the  time 
of  Solomon  himself.  The  chariots  and  horses  of 
Pharaoh,  would  hardly  have  been  thought  obje6ls 
of  comparison  in  later  ages,  when  the  kings  of 
Egypt  Vv^ere  the  enemies  of  Judah.  But  the  refe- 
rence to  Solomon's  nuptial  bed,  and  the  invitati- 
on to  behold  him  vtith  his  crown,  cannot  by  any 
means  be  reconciled  to  a  later  period. 

Still  the  question  remains,  at  what  period  of 
Solomon's  life  was  this  composed  ?  I  know  that 
many  of  the  Jewish  v/riters  refer  it  to  the  latter  part 
qf  his  reign  ;  but  as  tliis  opinion  does  not  appear 
of  sufficient  antiquity  to  have  any  weight  as  a  tra^ 
flition,    it  was  probably  started    only  as  an  argu- 

^  Se  e  my  note  on  ch.  viii.  6. 


(     61     ) 

ment  to  jwove  that  conversion  which  it  supposes* . 
On  the  contrary,  the  style  and  figures  employed 
by  no  means  agree  to  this  hypothesis  ;  and  differ 
totally  from  those  of  Ecclesiastes,  which  is  ge- 
nerally, and  most  reasonably,  referred  to  this  latter 
period. 

They  who  consider  the  book  as  carnal  and  ob- 
scene, will  no  doubt  be  pleased  to  refer  it  to  the 
period  of  Solomon's  dissipation  and  debauchery  ; 
but  neither  is  this  situation  favourable  to  finished 
composition ;  nor  is  there  any  reason  to  believe, 
that  at  this  time  Solomon  composed  at  all  :  this, 
therefore,  can  only  rest  on  a  conjecture  made 
merely  with  a  view  to  serve  an  hypothesis,  which 
J  hope  to  overthrow,  when  I  come  farther  to  en- 
quire into  the  nature  and  design  of  the  poem. 

From  the  passage  in  which  '  threescore  queens 
■  and  fourscore  concubines'  arc  mentioned,  Mr. 
Harmer^  and  some  others,  have  supposed  the 
book  to  have  been  written  when  Solomon's  wives 
and  concubines  did  not  exceed  that  number,  con- 
sequently, some  considerable  time  before  they 
were  multiplied  to  three  hundred  of  the  former, 
and  seven  hundred  of  the  latter*.     But,  as  I  think 


^  The  son  of  Siracli  enumerates  firft  Songs,  then  Proverbs 
(Ecclus.  xlvii.  18.)  but  the  Jews,  in  Midras,  observe  that 
in  1  Kings,  iv.  33.  Proverbs  are  mentioned  first. 

'  I  confess  that  in  this  early  date  of  the  book  I  oppose 
very  respectable  authority  befidethat  of  the  rabbins,  name- 
ly, Dr.  LiGHTFooT  and  Dr.  Gill,  who  place  it  full  twenty 
^•ears  after  Solomon's  marriage,  frpm  the  mention  of  the 


(     62     ) 

withbishop  Patrick^  that  the  ladies  there  mention- 
ed were  not  those  of  Solomon's  seraglio,  I  refer  the 
poem  to  a  still  higher  date,  and  shall  endeavour  to 
prove  it  written  on  a  prior  occasion,  namely  his 
marriage  with  Pharaoh's  daughter. 


SECTION    II. 

THE  OCCASION  OF  THIS  POEM. 

THE  next  important  obje6t  of  enquiry  then, 
is  the  occasion  on  which  this  poem  was  com- 
posed. That  it  was  a  nuptial  poem  is,  I  think, 
universally  admitted,  and  cannot  with  any  appear- 
ance of  reason  be  denied.  That  it  was  during  or 
soon  after  the  marriage  solemniK:y  is,  I  conceive, 
fairly  inferable  from  several  passages  ;  as  when  the 
virgins  are  invited  to  behold  king  Solomon  in  his 
nuptial  crown,    the  crown  wherewith  his  mother 


tower  of  Lebanon,  chap.  vii.  4.  But  it  is  not  certain  that 
the  tower  of  Lebanon  was  the  same  as  the  house  of  the  fo- 
reft  of  Lebanon,  i  Kings,  vii.  2.  (See  my  note  on  ch.  vii, 
4.)  nor  is  it  certain  that  all  these  were  built  in  succession  ; 
so  that  the  temple,  and  his  palace  at  Jerusalem,  were  both 
complete  before  the  house  at  Lebanon  was  begun.  Much 
1-ess  does  Mr.  Whiston's  remark  upon  Amminadab's  being 
the  same  as  Abinadab,  merit  much  attention,  since  they  are 
evidently  diflerent  names,  and  were  most  likely  different  per- 
sons ;  or  rather  the  former  two  Hebrew  words  compounded 
into  a  proper  name  by  mistake.  (See  the  note  on  ch.  vi.  1 2.) 
Chariots  also  were  introduced  before  the  reign  of  Solomon, 
'jee  2  Sam.  xv.  1. — 1  Kings,  i.  5. 


(     63     ) 

erowned  him  in  the  day  of  his  espousals  which  it 
is  not  likely  was  worn  long  after  the  nuptials  ;  and 
when  they  are  dire6led  to  behold  the  bridal  bed,  or 
palanquin,  brought  up  in  state  to  the  palace.  The 
same  dedu6tion  may  be  made  from  other  passa- 
ges  *■  The  king  hath  brought  me  into  his  apart- 

'  ments — the  king  is  waiting  in  the  galleries,'  &c. 

The  only  marriage  of  Solomon,  which  is  par- 
ticularly noticed  in  the  scriptures,  is  that  with 
Pharaoh's  daughter,  and  to  this  occasion  has  the 
piece  before  us  generally  been  referred ' .  Several 
objeclions  have  indeed  been  made  to  this  supposi- 
tion; but  all  of  them,  when  examined,  appear  to 
me  arguments  in  its  favour,  rather  than  objections. 

It  has  been  said,  that  the  nature  of  the  fortune 
which  this  princess  brought  to  Solomon  is  incon- 
sistent with  the  supposition  of  her  being  Pharaoh's 
daughter.  The  portion  alluded  to  is  a  ^vhieyard 
which  yielded  a  thousand  pieces  of  silver,  and 
this  is  thought  inconsistent  w^ith  the  character  of 
an  Egyptian  princess.  But  the  sacred  historian 
happily  settles  this  difficulty,  by  informing  us  that 


*  Dr.  Croxallf  in  the  preface  to  his  Fair  Circassian,  refers 
to  a  small  Arabian  MSS.  found  in  a  marble  chest  in  the 
ruins  of  Palmyra,  and  mentioned  (as  he  says)  in  the  Philo- 
sophical Transadlions  of  Amsterdam,  1558,  and  deposited 
in  the  university  of  Leyden  ;  which  MSS.  he  tells  us,  con- 
tains memoirs  of  the  court  and  seraglio  of  Solomon  ;  and 
mentions  a  beautiful  Circassian  captive,  with  whose  charms 
Solomon  was  so  enraptured,  that  he  never  left  the  seraglio 
for  a  month  after  she  was  brought  there  ;  but  as  all  the 
parts  of  this  stoi'y  bear  evident  marks  of  fi(5\ion,  and  were 
not,  I  suppose,  intended  to  be  believed,  I  conceive  it  un- 
necessary to  answer  it  particularly. 


(    6*    ) 

Pharaoh  gave  his  daughter  a  portion  which  ver^ 
well  agrees  with  our  supposition,  and  was  proba- 
bly the  vineyard  here  referred  to  :  for  the  Hebrews 
did  not  confine  the  term  to  plantations  of  the  vine, 
but  extended  it  to  any  kind  of  plantations,  either 
of  fruit-trees  or  odoriferous  shrubs'.  Now  the 
inspired  writer  tells  us  that  Pharaoh,  king  of 
Egypt,  having  '  gone  up  and  taken  Gezer,  burnt 
'  it  with  fire,  slew  the  Canaanites  that  dwelt  there, 
*  and  gave  it  for  a  present  u7ito  his  daughter^  So- 
^  lomoTi's'wife'''"  \  and  Solomon  built  Gezer.  Now 
this  Gezer  is  supposed  by  Reland%  apparently 
with  good  reason,  to  have  been  the  same  as  Ga- 
zara,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Joppa ;  and  the 
latter  is  described  by  Josephus'^  as  a  fruitful 
country,  and  abounding  with  springs  of  water. 
Mr.  Wood,  describing  the  valley  of  Bocat,  in 
which  stand  the  magnificent  ruins  of  Balbec,  com- 
pares it  with  the  fertile  plain  of  Rama,  on  the 
borders  of  which  Gazara  or  Gadara  is  situated. 
Now  as  Gazara  was  probably  the  ancient  Gaza,  it 
is  likely  that  Balbec  might  be  in  or  near  the  ancient 
Baal-hammon.  If  so,  there  is  the  more  propri- 
ety in  the  comparison  between  the  two  spots. 

The  bride's  mother  being  supposed  to  have  an 
apartment  within  the  palace  of  Solomon '  is  ano- 
ther circumstance  thaf  has  been  thought  utterly 

*  Harmer  on  Sol.  Song;  p.  34.     See  ch.  i-  14.  vii.  Ti. 
^    1  Kings  ix.  i6,   17. 

^  Palxst.  p.  778. 

*  Antiq.  lib.  vii i.  cap.  vi.  seel.  1. 
«  Ch.  iii.  4. 


(     65     ) 

inconsistent  with  the  supposition  of  the  bride's 
being  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Egypt'  ;  but  if 
this  be  part  of  the  relation  of  a  dream,  as  I  think, 
with  Dr.  DoDERLEiN,  there  is  good  reason  to 
conclude,  this  obje6lion  vanishes ;  or,  even, 
without  supposing  this,  I  know  not  that  we  have 
sufficient  proof  from  the  modern  etiquette  of  east- 
ern princesses,  but  that  the  mother  of  Solomon's 
queen  (especially  if  somewhat  in  years)  might  be 
suffered  to  accompany  her  daughter  on  the  occa- 
sion of  so  grand  an  alliance  ;  and  if  she  were, 
there  is  no  doubt  but  she  would  be  honoured  with 
apartments  in  the  palace. 

As  to  the  supposed  hint,  that  this  lady  was  one 
of  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  i.  e.  an  inhabitant 
of  that  city  ;  as  it  rests  on  a  forced  translation  of 
no  authority,  it  does  not  require  a  particular  an- 
swer*. But  the  bride's  coming  up  from  the  wil- 
derness is  another  circumstance  which  merits  ob- 
servation ;  since  when  the  sacred  writers  speak 
indefinitely  of  the  wilderness*,  without  specifying 
any  wilderness  in  particular,  it  appears  that  they 
always  intend  the  great  wilderness  between  Judea 


'  Notes  to  Dr.  Percy's  Trans,  p.  86,  and  Dr.  Hodgson 
oji  Sol.  Song. 

*  The  middle   thereof  wrought   [in  needle  work]  by  her 

*  whom   he  loveth  [best]  among  the  daughters  of  Jerusa- 

*  lem.'     See  chap.  iii.  10.  in  the  following  ti-anslaiion,  an  J 
Dr.  Percy's  notes,  p.  67,  8. 

3  Chap.  iii.  6.  viii.  5. 


(     66     ) 

andE^'pt';  and  therefore  intimates  the  bride's 
coming  from  that  quarter :  and  the  additional 
circumstance  of  Solomon  going  out  to  meet  her, 
strongly  intimates  that  she  was  a  princess  of  the 
first  rank. 

Bishop  Percy  indeed  insinuates,  as  adifficuUy, 
that  the  bride  is  called  a  prince^s^  and  not  a  king*s 
daughter  ;  whereas  the  kings  of  Egypt  were  cer- 
tainly of  the  highest  rank  and  greatest  conse- 
quence. The  original  term,  however,  appears 
to  be  general* ;  for  all  kings  are  princes,  though 
all  princes  are  not  kings  ;  and  v/e  certainly  mean, 
no  disparagement  to  our  sovereigns,  when  we 
call  them  '  princes  of  the  house  of  Brunswick.' 
It  u  not  clear,  however,  but  the  passage  alluded 
to  may  be  a  compliment  to  the  lady's  mental 
charms,  since  the  Hebrew  idiom  has  induced 
some  respe6lable  critics  to  render  the  expression, 
'  O  princely  daughter' — O  lady  of  a  noble  and  ex- 
cellent disposition,  and  chara6\er  ;  and  it  may 
be  worthy  of  remark  that  the  corresponding  Greek 
"word^  signifying  benefactor,  was  assumed  as  a 
sirname  of  the  highest  honour  by  a  later  Egyptian 
monarch,  Ptolomy  Euergetes^  and  other  princes. 

Another  objection  to  the  bride's  being  an  Egyp- 
tian princess  has  been  drawn  from  her  complaint, 
that  her  mother's  children  had  been  severe  unto 

^   See  Dcut.  xi.  24. 

2  See  1  Sam.  ii.  8 Piov.   xxv.  7.   compared  with  ver. 

6,  Sec. 


(     67     ) 

her,  and  had  made  her  keeper  of  the  vineyards. 
If  she  were  a  younger  sister,  and  distinguished 
by  her  wit  and  beauty,  it  is  not  wonderful  that 
she  should  have  been  envied  and  hated  by  them  : 
though  by  being  made  keeper  of  the  vineyards, 
there  is  no  reason  to  understand  any  thing  more 
than  sending  her  to  a  country  seat,  intended  by 
the  vineyards,  as  if  she  had  been  to  look  after 
them,  and  by  this  means  exposing  her  to  the  fer- 
vour of  the  sun-beams,  in  which  she  had  ne- 
glefted  her  beauty,  which  is  what  I  understand 
literally  by  her  •vineyard — a  familiar  metaphorical 
expression  used  for  any  kind  of  employment  which 
required  care  and  management. 

Mr,  Henley'  thinks  it  an  important  and  un- 
answerable obje6lion  to  the  bride's  being  an 
Egyptian  lady,  that  pastoral  images  are  employed; 
for  shepherds,  we  know,  were  *■  an  abomination 
to  the  Egyptians* ;'  and  that  because,  as  Jona- 
than^ in  his  Targum,  observes,  '  The  Hebrews 
'  ate  what  the  Egyptians  worshipped.'  But,  not 
to  say  that  some  revolution  of  sentiment  might 
take  place  in  the  course  of  several  centuries  ;  as 
the  same  country  had  once  a  race  of  shepJoerd 
kings  :  Not  to  insist  on  this,  it  is  to  be  observed, 
that  the  author  of  the  poem  is  not  supposed  to  be 
an  Egyptian  ;  and  as  to  the  lady  herself,  it  is  ge- 
nerally believed  that  she  was  a  proselyte  to  the 
worship  of  Jehovah,  before  her  marriage  :  and 
there  is  this  apparent  good  reason  for  it,  that  she 

*  In  Lowth's  Le6l.  '  Gen.  xlvi.  34. 


(     68     ) 

is  evidently  distinguished  from  those  wives  which 
turned  away  Solomon's  heart,  to  the  idols  of  their 
respective  nations,  among  whom  those  of  Egypt 
are  neidier  named  nor  hinted  at'  :  now  admitting 
her  to  be  a  convert  to  Judaism,  this  obje6lion  is 
completely  obviated. 

On  the  other  hand,  I  think,  there  are  some 
images  employed,  beside  those  already  named, 
that  strongly  favour  our  idea,  that  the  bride  was 
Pharaoh's  daughter,  and  the  allusions  to  Pharaoh's 
horses  and  his  chariots  appear  to  me  clearly  of  that 
number. 


SECTION  IIL_ 

OF  THE  NATURE  OF  THE  POEM. 

LET  us  now  examine  the  nature  of  the  com- 
position considered  as  poetic.  The  Jews  allow 
this  book  to  be  so  far  poetic,  as  being  of  the  para- 
bolic kind,  bat  not  metrical  :  wherefore  they  have 
not  distinguished  it  v/ith  their  poetic  accents  ;  nor 
is  it  ever  written  by  them  in  a  versified  form,  as 
die  psalms  are^.  This,  however,  is  merely  the 
effe6l  of  their  ignorance,  since  the  book  carries 
with  it  every  chara61er  (except  in  the  points)  be- 
longing to  Hebrew  poesy,  and  is  now  fully  admitted 
to  be  such  by  bishop  Lowth,  and  the  best  He- 

1    I  Kings  xi.  1 — 8. 

3  Lowih's  Preka.  LeQ.  XVHL  . 


(     69     ) 

braeans.  Indeed,  if  the  ideas  given  in  the  former 
essay,  on  the  nature  of  Hebrew  poetry,  be  right, 
the  fa6l  is  incontrovertible  ;  and  if  they  be  not 
right,  we  have  yet  to  seek  the  nature  of  the  He- 
brew poetry. 

It  has  been  somewhat  disputed  among  the  cri- 
tics, whether  this  poem  is  to  be  reckoned  a  pas- 
toral or  not :  but  this  is  little  more  than  a  dis- 
pute about  terms.     If  Theocritus  and  Firgil  are 
to  be  made  the  standard  of  this  species  of  compo- 
sition, it  certainly  will  not  endure  the  test  of  cri- 
ticism :    but  the   most  excellent   writers   in   any 
style   can  hardly  be  supposed  to  have  been  the 
first :  and  the  laws  of  Hebrew  pastoral  are  only 
to   be  drawn    from   writers   in  that  language  ;   I 
mean   from  the   sacred   writers,  who  frequently 
mixed  with  images  stri6lly  pastoral,  others  de- 
rived from   different   sou^-ces ;   as  we   see  in  the 
twenty-third  psalm,  the  finest  pastoral  in  that  lan- 
guage.   And  the  introdu6\ion  of  images  borrowed 
from  royalty,  intermixed  with  the  affairs  of  shep- 
herds',  are  so  far  from  improper  or  inconsistent, 
that  I  think  there  is  a  peculiar  beauty  in  their  be- 
ing mingled  or  united.     The  most  splendid  obr 
je6ls  were   simple  in  their   origin,  and   from  the 
pastoral  life  were   probably  borrowed  all  the  an-, 
cient  insigiua  of  royalty.    For  instance,  a  shepherc^ 
was  a  king  or  ruler  of  his  sheep  ;   ai;d  a  good  king 
the  shepherd  of  his  people.     The  office  of  govern- 
nient  is  compared  to  that  of  feeding  flocks,  be^ 

^  Harmer  p.  2. 


(     70     ) 

tause  it  should  be  exercised  for  the  public  good. 
Tlie  sceptre  of  the  monarch  is  borrowed  from  the 
shepherd's  staff,  and  his  crown,  perhaps,  was 
but  an  improvement  of  the  shepherd's  garland. 
These  analogies  very  sufficiently  justify  the  inter- 
mixture of  images  which  have  been  unjustly  deem- 
ed incongruous'.  And,  lam  inclined  to  think, 
the  neglecl  of  this  circumstance  has  led  commen- 
tators into  improper  methods  of  interpretation  : 
and  that  by  the  bridegroom's  feeding  among  the 
lilies,  Sec.  is  literally  intended  the  exercise  of  his 
regal  government  with  equity  and  mpderation  ;  as 
the  going  forth  by  the  footsteps  of  the  flock  is  a 
figurative  term  for  obedience,  and  the  following 
good  examples. 

If  the  term  Epithalamium  is  to  be  taken  for 
a  poem  sung  to  the  new-married  couple  in  the 
nuptial  bed,  it  cannot  be  applied  to  this  song*  ; 
but  if  taken  in  a  larger  sense  for  a  nuptial  poem 
only,  I  see  no  great  impropriety  in  such  an  appli- 
cation. 

The  question  whether  this  be  a  dramatic 
piece,  is  of  a   similar  nature.     Taking  the  term 

1  Mr.  Hiirmer  Jiints  that  only  tv/o  verses  at  most  are 
pastorul  ;  but  this  surely  is  a  mistake  ;  for  wherever  the 
speakers  talk  of  Avoods  and  mountains,  fields  and  gardens, 
roes  and  gazels — wiierever  they  speak  of  feeding  among 
lilies,  Sec.  are  not  all  these  images  borrowed  from  the 
pastoral,  or  first  simple  state  of  rural  life  ?  So  Dr.  Blair 
observes,  '  The  Song  of  Songs  affords  us  a  high  exempli- 
'  ficalion  of  pastoral  poetry. — It  is  a  dramatic  pastoral,  or 
'  a  perpetual  dialogue  between  personages  in  the  characler 
'  of  shepherds  ;  and,  suitably  to  that  form,  it  is  full  of  ru- 
*  ral  and  pastoral  images  from  beginning  to  end.'  Blair's 
}:.ea.  vol.  III.  Lea.  XLI. 

?  Harmer,  p.  3. 


(    71    ) 

dramatic  in  a  theatrical  sense,  it  will  certainly 
not  apjDly  :  but  taking  it  in  a  laxer  sense  for  a 
poem  by  way  of  dialogue,  it  is  very  j-roper  ;  and 
though  there  be  striftly  no  dramatic  plot,  yet 
there  are  successive  scenes  and  poetical  machinery. 
The  persons  of  this  drama  are  for  the  most  part 
easily  distinguishable  in  the  original  language, 
which  has  a  difference  of  gender  in  the  verbs,  as 
well  as  nouns  and  pronouns.  Origen^  who  has 
been  followed  by  all  succeeding  commentators, 
distinguishes  the  bride  and  bridegroom — the  vir- 
gins attendant  on  the  bride,  and  the  companions 
of  the  bridegroom. 

Mr.  Harmer,  however,  thinks  he  has  discov- 
ered tiuo  brides,  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh;  and  a 
Jewish  lady,  who  had  been  married  to  Solomon 
prior  to  the  other,  and  was  provoked  to  jealousy 
by  these  nuptials  ;  and  this  opinion  certainly  de- 
serves examination  in  respe6l  to  its  ingenious  au- 
thor, though  I  know  not  that  he  made  a  singly 
convert  to  his  opinion. 

Mr.  Harmer' s  first  and  grand  reason  is — that 
this  bride,  in  chap.  iii.  appears  to  have  been  ac- 
customed to  the  bed  of  Solomon,  because  she 
sought  him  there  ;  *  By  night  on  my  bed  I  sought 
'  him  ;'  which  seems  inconsistent  with  the  modes- 
ty of  a  new  married  lady,  and  with  his  hypothesis, 
that  the  marriage  is  not  consummated  till  the 
fourth  chapter.  When  we  come  to  that  passage, 
I  shall  attempt  to  show  the  latter  notion  to  be  un- 
founded :  in  the  mean  time,  if  the  language  of 
the  spouse  be  only  a  dream,  as  I  shall  endeavour 


(     72     ) 

to  prove,  it  will  afford  but  a  very  weak  suppoft 
for  his  conclusion. 

That  Solomon  was  married  before  his  alliance 
with  Pharaoh's  daughter,  and  even  before  his  ac- 
cession to  the  crown,  should  appear  by  the  age 
of  Rehoboam,  his  son  and  successor'  ;  but  that 
his  first  \\  ife  was  ever  crowned,  or  that  she  was 
alive  at  this  period,  or  even  at  his  accession,  are 
mere  uncertain  suppositions,  and  therefore  ought 
not  to  be  employed  in  argument. 

As  to  the  jealous  language  which  Mr.  Harmer 
thought  he  could  perceive  in  the  sequel  of  the 
poem,  I  can  attribute  it  to  nothing  but  the  influ- 
ence of  hypothesis,  which  is  very  apt  to  give  a 
colour  to  all  our  views  of  a  subject ;  and  if  the 
reader  turns  to  the  passages  he  points  out",  as  I 
have  done,  I  think  he  will  see  as  little  of  it. 

That  the  lady  celebrated  in  chapter  vii.  is  called 
a  prince's  daughter,  and  not  the  king's  (as  in  Ps. 
xlv.)  has  been  shewn  to  be  an  obje6lion  of  little 
consequence.  The  result  then  of  our  last  enquiry 
in  CGiniexion  with  the  preceding  is,  that  the  lady 
here  celebrated  was  probably  a  daughter  of  Pha- 
raoh, lately  married  to  Solomon ;  and  that  there 
is  no  reason  to  suppose  two  wives  of  Solomon, 
introduced,  or  particularly  referred  to,  in  this 
poem.  '^ 

Having  so  far  settled  the  dramatis  personts^  or 
persons  of  the  dialogue,  our  next  enquiry  respeds 

1  See  1  Kings  xiv.  21.  compared  with  chap.  xi.  42. 

2  Chap.  ii.  1,  5.  iii.  1. 


(     73     ) 

the  time,  i.  e.  the  dramatic  time  of  the  pieceV 
and  the  change  of  scenery. 

The  Jewish  weddings  commonly  lasted  seven 
days,  as  appears  in  the  instances  of  Jacob  and 
Samson'.  From  this  circumstance  the  ingeni- 
ous bishop  Bos  SUET  suggested  that  the  poem 
should  be  divided  into  seven  parts,  analogous  to 
these  days,  and  he  has  been  followed  by  many 
later  writers  ;  particularly  by  the  anonymous  au- 
thor of  a  very  ingenious  paraphrase  on  this  song^. 
He,  however,  varies  several  of  the  divisons,  as  I 
conceive  with  great  judgment,  and  with  good 
reason,  and  I  was  pleased  to  find,  upon  making 
more  than  one  attempt  to  divide  it  myself,  merely 
by  internal  marks,  that  I  fell  almost  exa6\ly  into 
his  divisions  ;  which  strongly  inclines  me  to  this 
hypothesis. 

We  know  that  the  marriages  of*  the  ancient 
Hebrews  were  attended  with  music  and  dancing, 
as  are  the  eastern  marriages  to  this  day  ;  and  there 
can  be  no  doubt  but  these  accompanied  the  nup- 
tials of  Pharaoh's  daughter ;  but  whether  this 
poem,  or  any  parts  of  it%  as  Mr.  Harmer  sug- 
gests, were  thus  sung,  it  seems  impossible  to 
ascertain  with  certainty,  however  probable  it  may 
appear  from  some  circumstances. 


Gen.  xxix.  27.  Judges  xiv.  10,  17. 
*   Edinburgh,  printed  1775. 
a  Ch.  i.  1.  &c.  iv.  1—11. 


K 


(     74     ) 
SECTION  IF. 

OF  THE  IMAGERY  EMPLOYED  IN  THIS  SONG. 

MY  objcft  in  this  se6lion  Mill  be  two-fold: 
1st.  To  diew  that  the  images  employed  are  quite 
in  the  style  of  the  best  eastern  writers  ;  and  2dly, 
That  they  are  not  justly  chargeable  with  indeli- 
cacy or  licentiousness. 

Sir  W.  Jones  will  be  admitted  one  of  the  best 
judges  of  the  eastern  style.     He  tells  us,  '  the 

*  Arabian  poets  compare  the  foreheads  of  their 
'  mistresses  to  the   moni'ing'^  ;  their  locks  to  the 

*  night ;  their  faces  to  the  sun^  to  the   moon^  or 

*  to  the  blossoms  of  jasmine  ;  their  cheeks  to  roses 

*  or  ripe -fr III t"^  ;  their  teeth  to  pearls,  hail-stones, 

*  and  snowrdrops  ;  their  eyes  to  the  flowers  of  the 
'  narcissus  ;   their  curled  hair  to  black  scorpions, 

*  and  to   hyacinths  ;    their  lips  to   rubies,  or  to 

*  wine  ;   the  form  of  their  breasts  to  pomegranates^ 
*'and  the  colour  of  them  to  snow ;  their  shape  to 

*  that  of  the  palm  tree'  ;  and  their  stature  to  that 
*■  of  a  cypress,  palm'^^  &:c. 

In  the  abo^'e  quotation  I  have  marked  with 
italics  both  the  features  described,  and  the  images 


1  See  Sol.  Sonc^,  ch.  vi.  10. 

a   Ch.  iv.  3. 

3  Ch.  vii.  7,  8. 

•t  Essay  on  the  poetry  of  the  Easterns. 


(     75     ) 

employed ;  with  some  references  in  the  margin, 
to  the  passages  of  this  song,  where  similar  images 
occur ;  and  I  shall  pursue  the  same  method  in 
the  following  extra6ts. 

The  following  is  an  extra6l  from  a  literal  trans- 
lation by  Sir  W.  Jones  of  a  '  Turkish  Ode,  by 
'  Meshi'.' 

*  Thou  hearest  the  tale  of  the  iiightingole^  that 
'  the  'ucrnal  season  approaches'^ .  The  spring  has 
'•  spread  a  bovver  of  joy  in  every  grove,  where  the 
'  almond-tree  sheds  its  silver  blossoms. 

*  The  roses  and  tulips  are  like  the  bright  cheeks 

*  of  beautiful  maids,  in  whose  ears  the  pearls  hang 

*  like  drops  of  dew. 

'  The  time  is  passed  in  which  the  plants  were 

*  sick,  and  the  rose-bud  hung  its  thoughtful  head 
'  upon  its  bosom.' 

Lady  Montague,  in  her  tour  in  the  east,  met 
with  a  Turkish  love  song,  which  struck  her  as 
remarkably  resembling,  in  its  style,  the  canticle 
of  the  king  of  Israel.  Mr.  Harmer  has  copied  the 
whole,  and  I  shall  transcribe  so  much  of  it  as  ap- 
pears to  our  purpose. 

'  The  nightingale  now  wanders  in  the  vines ; 
'  her  passion  is  to  seek  roses. 

'  /  ivent  dow?i  to  admire  the  beauty  of  the 
*■  'vines  ^  .••  the  sweetness  of  your  charms  bath  ra- 

*  vished  my  soul'' . 

1   Asiatic  Poems.  2   Sol.  Song;,  ii.  11,  12, 

3  Ch.  vi.  11,  12.  vli.  12.  Ch.  iv.  9. 


(     76     ) 

*  Your  eyes  are  hlach  and  loiiely  ;  but  wild  and 

*  disdainful  as  thobc  of  a  stag. 

'  The  w  retched  Ibrahim  sighs  in  these  verses  : 
'  ofie  dart  from  your  eyes  hath  pierced  through 

*  my  heart' . 

*  Ah,    Sultana  !    stag-eyed:    an  angel  among 

*  angels  !    I   desire,  and  my  desire  remains  unsa- 

*  tistied. 

'  Turn  to  mc^   Sultana  ! — let  me  gaze  on   thy 

*  beauty^ . 

*■  Adieu — I  go  down  to  the  grave  :   If  thou  call- 
'  est  me,  1  return. 

*  My  heart   is  hot  as  sulphur ;   sigh,   and  it 
'  %mll flame.'* ^ 


On  this  song  I  will  subjoin  two  observations  ; 
the  first  is  from  Mr.  Harmer,  that  '  the  passion  of 
'  the  nightingale  is  to  seek  roses,'  alludes  to  a 
popular  Arabian  fable  of  the  amours  of  the  nia;ht  - 
liigale  and  the  rose. — The  second  is  a  criticism 
of  Sir  W.  Jones'*,  on  the  epithet  stag-eyed 
in  the  translation  of  this  song :  he  supposes 
the  original  [ahu  chesm]  to  intend  the  eyes  of  a 
young  fawn  ^ — the  same  as  the  gazel  of  the  Ara- 
bians, and  the  zabi  of  the  Hebrews.  '  I  have 
*  seen  one  (says  Sir  William,)  it  is  exquisitely 
.*  beautiful,     with  eyes    uncommonly    black    and 

i    C!..  iv.  9.  2   r.h.  vi.  13.  ,   Ch.  viii.  6. 

*  I'.ssny  on  Eastern  Poetry. 

'  EA<>ai'»£r)  favvn-tyed.     Pers.  Gram,  p-  7  1 . 


(     77     ) 

*  large  : — The  Turks  mean  to  express  fulness ^ 
'■  with  a  soft  and  languishing  lustre.^ 

The  above  are  sufficient  to  give  an  idea  of  the 
eastern  taste  in  poetic  composition  ;  and  the  simi- 
litude between  these  images  and  Solomon's,  is  too 
obvious  to  be  insisted  on.  In  the  critical  notes  lo 
the  commentary,  however,  I  may  subjoin  some 
other  passages  from  the  easterns  to  illustrate  the 
text. 

I  come  now  to  justify  the  language  of  my  author 
from  the  charges  of  inimodesty  and  indelicacy.  In 
order  to  which  I  must  submit  to  the  considerati- 
on of  my  readers,  the  difference  between  the  man- 
ners and  customs  of  different  nations^  particularr 
ly  in  the  east  and  west.  Many  of  the  Mosaic  laws 
and  regulations  respe6ling  women,  sound  verv  in- 
delicately to  the  ears  of  English  ladies,  and  are 
certainly  very  improper  to  be  read  in  our  religi- 
ous asseiriblies,  or  in  mixed  companies  ;  but  does 
this  fix  the  stain  of  immodesty  on  the  Jewishlegis- 
lator  ?  Certainly  not ;  the  legal  code  of  the  Hin-: 
doos  contains  many  of  the  same  laws,  quite  as  na- 
turally expressed;  and  so  do  those  of  other  eastern 
nations.  On  the  other  hand,  our  laws,  in  many 
cases,  demand  that  kind  of  evidence  from  injured 
females,  in  an  open  court,  which  would  by  no 
means  be  required  by  an  eastern  judge.  Also  ma- 
ny liberties  between  the  sexes,  which,  from  their 
intermixture  in  conversation  are  thought  innocent 
with  us,  would  be  esteemed  highly  criminal  in 
Turkey  and  other  parts  of  the  east.  *  The  pro- 
{  miscuous  dancing  of  the  two  sexes,'  for  instance, 


(     T8     ) 

so  fashionable  in  Europe,  is  viewed  with  '  horror' 
by  the  Turks  ;  and  an  European  ball  is  an  obje6l 
of  disgust  and  detestation  to  Musstlmen  ' . — I 
may  add  that  the  Hebrew  language,  in  its  ancient 
state,  vrants  words  for  many  indelicate  and  offen- 
sive objects  named  by  us  without  hesitation  ^. 

It  is  also  to  be  observed  that  even  in  the  same 
country,  in  different  periods,  the  same  expressions 
are  either  modest  or  indelicate.  As  a  nation  pro- 
ceeds in  luxury  and  refinement,  the  language  is  al- 
so refined,  Awhile  the  manners,  perhaps,  grow 
more  licentious.  This  has  been  particularly  the 
case  with  us.  I  doubt  not  but  the  passages  ex- 
cepted against  in  our  translation  of  this  ver}^  poem 
appeared  modest  enough  to  our  translators,  who 
were  grave  and  learned  men  :  and  though  this  cer- 
tainly is  not  the  case  at  present,  who  will  say  that 
the  morals  of  the  nation  are  not  more  relaxed  than 
in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  and  James  I  ?  To  in- 
stance in  one  circumstance,  I  doubt  not  but  our 
ladies  were  as  modest  when  they  wore  their  be- 
soms exposed,  as  they  are  at  present ;  and  then  I 
suppose  the  description  of  this  feature  appeared 
no  more  indelicate  than  noV  the  description  of  a 
female  face.  Such  appear  to  be  the  ideas  of  the 
eastern  poets  alcove  referred  to  by  Sir  W.  Jones  ; 
and  even  the  colder  poets  of  the  north,  who  are 
neither  charc-eable  A\ith  le\\-d  intentions  nor  un- 
chaste  expressions. 

'    Nii'buhr's  Travels,  vol.  I.  p.  140. 

^  The  Hebrew  lias  no  word  for  urine,  but  calls  it  the 
vater  of  t!ie  ffet  ;  nor  have  they  any  literal  term  for  thofe 
eexual  distinclions  which  our  modest  writers  s^cnerally  name 
in  Latin. 


(     79     ) 

In  the  celebrated  poems  of  Ossian,  uhich, 
whether  genuine  or  not,  were  certainly  faithful 
copies  of  the  manners  of  the  age  and  country,  we 
have  the  following  images  ;  one  of  which  is  the 
same  as  Solomon's  : 

'  Thy  breasts  are  like  two   smooth  rocks  seen 

*  from  Banno  of  the  streams. 

'  Lovely  with  her  ra'-cen  hair   is  the  white-bo- 

*  som'd  daughter  of  Songlan'. 

'  Her   white-breast  heaves    like  snow  on   the 

*  heath,  when  the    gentle  winds  arise  and  slowly 

*  move  it  in  the  night  ^. 

'  Her  breasts  are  like  foam  on  the  waves,  and 

*  her  eyes  like  the  stars  of  light :  her  hair  %vas  as 

*  the  raiien^s  wi?ig^ 

He  must  be  a  fastidious  critic  indeed,  that  con- 
demns these  beautiful  images  as  licentious  or  im- 
modest. Yet  I  know  nothing  in  the  Song  of  So- 
lomon more  licentious,  and  impassioned.  The 
two  descriptions  of  the  bride  and  bridegroom  will 
here  perhaps  rush  into  the  reader's  recollefl:ion, 
especially  the  former,  and  make  it  necessary  for 
me  to  explain  and  remove  some  expressions, 
which,  as  they  stand  in  our  translation,  I  can  by 
no  means  justify. 

The  translation  of  the  Bible  is  indeed  so  im- 
portant and  valuable  a  work,  and  the  translators 
were  such  good  and  learned  men,  that  l  feel  pain 
in  finding  fliult  with  either  :   yet  as  they  were  but 

1  Finga',  book  I.  «  Battle  of  Lora. 

•'  Carthon.     Compare  Sol.  Song,  ch.  v.  11. 


(     80     ) 

men,  and  laid  no  claim  to  inspiration  or  infallibi- 
lity, it  conveys  no  censure  to  say  that  they  some- 
times erred.  In  the  present  instance  I  have  shewn 
that  part  of  their  erroi  must  be  laid  to  the  state  of 
our  language  and  manners  near  two  centuries  ago; 
and  another  part  to  the  state  of  learning  at  that 
period.  Literature,  it  must  be  recolle6led,  was 
then  but  just  awakened  from  a  slumber  of  a  thou- 
sand years.  The  Hebrew  language  was  very  im- 
pcrfe6lly  understood,  and  less  was  known  of  the 
Hebrew  poetry.  The  attention  of  our  reformers  and 
translators  was  drawn  to  obje^ls  of  more  immedi- 
ate importance,  and  confined,  in  a  great  measure, 
to  the  subje6ls  controverted  between  them  and  the 
church  of  Rome.  Thus  much  at  least  must  be 
admitted  in  their  apology.  Let  us  now  advert  to 
the  very  indelicate  description  they  have  given  us 
of  the  spouse  in  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  chap- 
ter. 

If  the  reader  will  please  to  compare  my  transla- 
tion of  this  passage  with  the  common  one  (neither 
of  which  I  think  it  necessary  to  transcribe  here) 
he  will  at  once  perceive  the  grand  difference  to  be, 
that  what  they  refer  to  the  naked  features^  I  refer 
to  the  dress  ;  which  I  hope  takes  off  at  once  the 
grand  objeclion  of  its  indelicacy.  For  the  import 
of  the  individual  words  and  phrases,  I  must  refer 
to  my  critical  notes  :  in  defence  of  the  general 
idea^  I  must  beg  leave  to  argue  from  the  follow- 
ing topics. 

1.  From  the  nature  of  the  case.  Waving  the 
divine  authority  of  the  book,  and  supposing  only 


(     Bl     ) 

(which  surely  cannot  be  disputed)  that  the  author 
was  a  man  of  sense  and  genius,  would  he  repre- 
sent the  bride  as  describing  her  beloved  naked  to 
the  virgins,  that  they  might  know  him'  ?  Surely 
not  :  much  less  would  he  represent  the  virgins  as 
describing  the  naked  charms  of  the  bride  ;  the  sup- 
position is  against  nature,  reason,  and  probabili- 
ty ;  to  say  nothing  of  decency  and  morals. 

2.  Let  us  compare  this  with  other  ancient 
poems,  and  particularly  with  the  forty-fifth  psalm 
which  appears  also  to  have  been  a  nuptial  poem, 
and,  probably,  written  on  the  same  occasion. 
Here  the  parties  are  described  in  their  royal  or 
nuptial  garments*  ;  the  queen  especially,  as  cloth- 
ed in  wrought  gold,  and  needle- work  :  nor  is  there 
any  passage  in  the  writings  which  compose  our  Bi- 
ble analogous  to  this,  supposing  it  to  refer  to  the 
uncovered  features. 

3.  Let  us  examine  the  internal  evidence,  and 
we  shall  find  several  circumstances  which  can  be 
referred  only  to  the  dress,  particularly  in  the  de- 
scription of  the  bride.  The  first  article  of  the  de- 
scription, for  instance,  is  the  feet,  which  are  de- 
scribed, not  naked,  but  clothed  with  sandals^ 
which  strongly  favours  our  idea.  The  next  is, 
most  literally  and  obviously,  the  covering  of  the 
thighs  or  loins.  The  head  also  is  described  in  a 
manner  which  can  be  referred  only  to  the  dress  : 
*  Thine  head  upon  thee  is  like  Carmel.'     Now 

*   Ch.  V.  9—16.  •  Ver.  8,9,  13,  14.  ^   Ch.  vii.  I. 


(     32     ) 

Carmal  was  a  mountain  covered  with  trees  and 
verdure,  no  doubt  intermixed  with  flowers,  which 
can  refer  to  nothing  but  the  head-dress,  or  rather 
the  nuptial  crown  formed  of  flowers  and  ever- 
greens.— So  again,  in  the  description  of  the  be- 
loved— '  his  body  like  white  ivorv  overlaid  with 
*  sapphires,'  I  am  much  mistaken  if  this  does  not 
more  naturally  describe  a  white  skin  widi  a  sap- 
phire robe,  or  perhaps  robes  of  blue  and  white, 
than  it  does  the  skin  with  blue  veins. 

4.  If  we  recur  to  authorities,  those  in  favour  of 
my  hypothesis  are,  at  least,  equally  respectable 
with  those  on  the  other  side.  Among  the  rab- 
bins, Aben  Ezra  ^  was  an  advocate  for  this  method 
of  interpretation,  and  among  Christian  writers  I 
have  noted  Sanftius,  Poole,  Bishop  Patrick,  and 
Dr.  Gill.  Mr.  Harmer  hath  pleaded  on  the  same 
side,  with  much  ingenuity,  and  he  is  followed  by 
Mr.  Parkhurst. 

5.  It  may  be  thought  extraordinary  by  some 
mere  English  readers,  that  there  should  be  a  doubt 
or  a  difficulty  upon  this  subject,  and  they  may 
wish  to  be  informed  whence  the  ambiguity  arises. 
To  gratify  such  I  would  reply,  partly  from  the  na- 
ture of  the  Hebrew  language,  which  denominates 
the  articles  of  dress  from  the  members  of  the  body 
which  they  cover  :  and  partly  from  the  nature  of 
poetry,  which  abounds  in  tropes  and  metonymies  ; 
and  often  becomes  obscure  by  that  conciseness 
which  is  essential  to  its  elegance. 

1  In  Gill,  ch.  vii.   1. 


C     83     ) 

If  it  be  enquired,  How  are  we  to  distinguish 
the  parts  clothed  from  the  naked  features  ?  I  an- 
swer not  only  by  the  expressions  used,  but  also  by 
the  nature  of  the  case,  and  the  customs  of  the 
country  ;  but  the  application  of  this  rule  must  be 
referred  to  the  commentary. 

The  beauty  of  Solomon's  imagery  has  been  a 
subject  of  encomium  with  many  writers,  and  par- 
ticularly with  the  ingenious  and  elegant  Bossuet : 
but  if  the  reader  have  not  taste  to  discern  these, 
it  would  be  in  vain  to  point  them  out  :  it  would 
be  like  pointing  a  blind  man.to  the  rainbow.  We 
hasten  therefore  to  the  next,  and  one  of  the  most 
important  subjects  of  enquiry. 


SECTION   V. 

THE  MYSTICAL  SENSE  OF  THE  POEM. 

IT  was  a  very  early  and  general  opinion  among 
both  JeAvs  and  Christians,  who  studied  this  book, 
that  the  author  had  something  more  in  view  than 
a  literal  reference  to  a  beloved  fair  one,  under  the 
amatory  expressions  and  figurative  images  employ- 
ed ;  but  they  have  differed  very  much  in  their  me- 
thods of  explication. 

The  learned  Mr.  Poole^  mentions  some  writers 
who  have  conje6lured  the  author's   design  to  be 

>  In  Syn.  Crit.  vol.  H.  cpl.  1963. 


% 


(     84     ) 

political,  intended  as  an  encomium  on  the  govern- 
ment of  Solomon  ;  or  as  one  says,  '  A  dialogue 
'  between  Solomon  and  the  republic  of  the  Jews 
*  (personified  as  a  female  beauty)  inviting  him  to 
'  reign  over  it !' — Others  have  understood  it  as  a 
philosophico-allegorical  colloquy  between  the 
above  prince  and  wisdom,  or  divine  philosophy, 
according  to  his  supposed  language  in  the  Apo- 
crypha :  '*  I  loved  her,  and  sought  her  out  from  my 
'  youth  ;  I  desired  to  make  her  my  spouse,  [or,  to 
'  marry  her,]  and  I  was  a  lover  of  her  beauty*.* 
- — This,  according  to  Dupin^,  was  the  hypothesis 
of  Theodore  of  Mopsuestia  ;  and  both  these  expo- 
sitions are,  it  must  be  confessed,  ingenious  and 
beautiful ;  but  as  I  believe  it  is  long  since  they 
had  any  advocates,  I  do  not  think  it  necessary  to 
examine  them. 

The  Targum,  and  several  of  the  Jewish  com- 
mentators, as  Kben  Ezra,  Solomon  Jarchi,  and 
the  author  of  the  Book  of  Zohar%  consider  this 
book  as  an  historical  parable,  or  mystical  history 
of  the  ancient  Jewish  church  :  on  the  other  hand 
some  Christian  writers,  as  Brightman  and  Cotton, 
consider  it  as  prophetic  of  the  Christian  church  : 
and  some  have  been  so  minute-*  as  to  point  out 
the  several  periods   to  which  it  may  be  referred, 


»   Wisdom,  viii.  2,  &c.  «  Hist.  Eccl.  Cent.  5. 

3  'ihis  book  tells  us  that  Solomon's  Sonsy  comprehends 
the  v.'hole  law,  the  creation,  the  slavery  of  Israel  in  Ej^ypt, 
the  Exodus,  the  covenant  of  Sinai,  l)uilding  the  temple, 
captivity  and  redemption  of  Israel,  &c.  Sec.  and  finally  the 
Sabbath  of  the  Lord,  vi'hich  is,  and  'vvas,  and  is  to  come< 
*  Hermischius  in  Qill. 


(     85     ) 

answerable  to  the  states  of  the  seven  Asiatic 
churches,  in  the  revelation,  which  they  also  sup- 
pose to  be  prophetical,  as  follows  : 

1    The  Church  at  Ephesus,  Rev.  ii.    1  to  7".  Cant.  i.  StolT.  A.  D.  33  to  370. 

2.  Smyrna 8—11.     _  ,i.  1—17.     _  371—707. 

2. Per'gamcs 12—17.    —  iii.  1—11.    —  708  —1045. 

4.  Th^atira 18—29.     —  iv.  1— v.  1.  —  1046— 13»3. 

5.  '. Sarclis         —iii.      1—6.       —  v.  2— vi.  2.— 1.584— 1:21. 

6. Philadelphia 7—13.   —  vi.  9— vii.  14.-- 1722—2059. 

7.  Laodicea   —  —  14—22.  — viii.  1—14.  —  2060&onward 

These  suppositions  are  so  fanciful  and  unfound- 
ed, that  I  confess  myself  at  a  loss  how  to  attempt 
an  answer ;  and  shall  therefore  leave  them  with 
the   censure   of    Dr.    Gill",  who  observes  that 

*  hereby  the   book   is    made   liable   to   arbitrary, 

*  groundless,   and  uncertain  conjectures,   as  well 
'  as  its  usefulness  in  a  great  measure  laid  aside.' 

There  is  one  other  hypothesis  which  I  would 
name  rather  out  of  respect  to  the  talents  of  its  au- 
thor, than  from  any  idea  of  its  plausibility  ;  I 
mean  that  of  the  late  ingenious  Mr.  Robinson  of 
Cambridge,  who  thinks  it  '■  not  improbable'  that 
the  book  of  Canticles  is  a  '  topographical  compo- 
'  sition,'  descriptive,  *  of  some  beautiful  spots  in 
'  the  landed  estates  of  Solomon^  ;'  and  that,  par- 
ticularly, the  description  of  the  beloved  in  chap. 
V.  intends  nothing  but  a  mountaiJi^  ornamented 
with  copses,  and  enriched  with  quarries  of  marble, 
and  a  mine  of  gold ^. 

It  is  readily  admitted  that  geography  borrows 
many  of  its  terms  from  the  members  of  the  human 

^   Expos,  p.  16.  3d  edit. 

'    History  of  Baptism,  ch.  iii.  p.  23,  4.  ^  h/kJ. 


(     86     ) 

body,  as  an  arm  of  the  sea,  the  mouth  of  a  river, 
the  foot  of-a  mountain,  he.  and  this  custom  pro- 
bably originated  among  the  first  fathers  of  man- 
kind. But  fchat  Behemoth  meant  the  Dead  Sea, 
Leviathan  a  volcano,  Jonah's  whale  a  Jewish  fish- 
ery, and  the  beloved  in  this  book  a  hill  with  mines 
in  it,  are  ideas  which  require  something  more 
than  mere  conje6lure  to  support  them.  Beside, 
whoever  heard  of  a  gold  mine  in  Judea  ?  and  if 
Solomon  had  such  in  his  own  estate,  why  send  a 
three  years  voyage  to  procure  it  ?  Farther,  did 
marble  and  gold  grov/  in  the  same  mountain  ?  And 
did  it  also  produce  quarries  of  ivory,  and  saphire, 
and  beryl  ?  Did  the  same  mountain  produce 
springs  of  water,  beds  of  spices,  and  copses  '  bushy 
'  and  black  as  a  raven  ?'  Surely  the  idea  is  too  ri- 
diculous to  merit  a  serious  confutation,  and  could 
not  have  been  entertained  even  by  Mr.  Robinson, 
if  he  had  attempted  to  pursue  it  farther,  and  exa- 
mine the  particular  application  of  his  hypothesis. 
For  supposing  a  few  passages  might  be  thus  illus- 
trated, the  far  greater  part  would  be  thrown  into 
impenetrable  darkness. 

I  know  not  whether  the  protestant  reader  will 
bear  with  my  adding  to  the  above  hypotheses,  the 
mystical  one  of  some  modern  catholics,  who  while 
they  explain  the  bridegroom  to  be  Jesus  Christ, 
make  the  spouse  to  be  the  Virgin  Mary'. 

It  is  no^v  time  to  stq.te  what  I  conceive  a  far 
*  Explanj  of  Cant,  in  Verse.     Paris,  1717. 


(     87     ) 

more  rational  and  consistent  application  of  the 
imagery  in  this  poem,  and  to  consider  the  grounds 
and  arsruments  on  which  it  rests.     '  In  the  first 

*  place,  then,  I  confess'  (in  the  words  of  the  very- 
learned  bishop  LowTH  ^ )  '  that  by  several  reasons, 

*  by  the  general  authority  and  consent  of  the  Jewish 

*  and  Christian  churches,  and  still  more,  by  the 

*  nature  and  analogy  of  the  parabolic  style,  I  feel 
'  irresistibly  inclined  to  that  side  of  the  question 
'  which  considers  this  as  an  entire  allegory.' — 
'  A  mystic  allegory  of  that  sort  which  induces  a 

*  more  sublime  sense    on  historical  truths,  and 

*  which,  by  the  description  of  human  events,  sha- 

*  dows  out  divine  circumstances.'  So  Dr.  Blair 
says,  *  Considered  with  respe6l  to  its  spiritual 

*  meaning  it  is  undoubtedly  a  mystical  allegory^.* 
— On  this  occasion,  says  Mr.  Green,  we  may 
say  what  the  apostle  says  on  another  ;   '  No  man 

*  can  lay  any  other  foundation  than  what  is  laid, 
'even  Jesus  Christ'.' 

The  ground  of  a  mystic  allegory  lays  in  the 
analogy  between  natural  and  spiritual  obje^s ; 
and  it  is  well  known  to  have  been  the  do<?l:rine  of 
Plato's  school,  that  all  material  objects  had  their 
archetype  in  the  divine  mind,  which  principle  was 
adopted  by  Philo,  the  Alexandrian  Jew,  and  from 
him  descended  to  the  Cabbalists,  and  became  the 
fountain  of  all  their  allegorical  interpretations. 
These  Cabbalists,  from  the  maxim  that  '  sensible 
'  things   are  but  an  imitation  of  things  above,' 

Leaure  XXXI.  2    I.ea.  XLI.  vol.  IIL 

Greens  Poet.  Parts  of  O.  T.  newly  translated,  p.  105. 


(     88     ) 

thence  conceived  that  the  matrimonial  union  hact 
its  counterpart,  or  original  pattern,  in  the  heavenly 
state;  namely,  in  the  loves  of  Tipheret  and 
Ma  LOUTH,  the  invisible  bridegroom  and  bride  of 
the  celestial  world.  By  Tipheret,  which  sig- 
nifies ornamejit  or  beauty^  if  they  understood 
themselves,  they  must  have  meant  the  king  Mes- 
siah, whom  they  call  '  the  second  Adam,'  or  the 

*  Adam  who  is  07i  h'lgh^''  in  distin6lion  from  our 
common  father  ;  and  by  Malcuth,  which  signi- 
fies kingdom^  the  congregation  of  Israel  or  the 
kingdom  of  the  Messiah  ;  and  these  notions  ap- 
pear to  have  been  very  ancient,  as  they  are  adopted 
bv  the  sacred  writers,  and  particularly  by  St.  Paul, 
who  represents  Jesus  Christ,  both  as  '  the  second 

*  Adam,  the  Lord  from  heaven,'  and  as  the  hus- 

*  band  or  bridegroom  of  his  church ' . 

But  this  notion  may  be  traced  to  a  sublimer 
origin  than  Plato,  namely,  to  the  Hebrew  prophets, 
who  abound  with  the  same  ideas.  By  them  '  God 
'  is  represented  as  the  S|)Ouse  of  the  church,  and 

*  the  church  as  the  betrothed  of  God.  Thus  also 
'  the  piety  of  the  people,  their  impiety,  their  ido- 
'  latry,  and  rejeclion  stand  in  the  same  relation  to 

*  the  sacred  covenant,  as  chastity,  immodesty, 
'  adultery,  and  divorce,  with  respe^Sl  to  the  mar- 
*■  riage  contract.  And  this  notion  is  so  familiar  in 
'  Scripture,  that  the  word  adultery  (or  whoredom) 
'  is  commonly  used  to  denote  idolatrous  worship, 

'    !  Cor.  XV.     Eph.  V.  32. 


(     89     ) 


"  and  so  appropriated  does  it  appear  to  this  tnt* 

*  taphorical  purpose,  that  it  very  seldom  occurs 

*  in  its  proper  and  literal  sense'.' 


its  proper  and  literal  sense ' . 


Some  of  the  passages  thus  certainly  allegorical 
have  a  resemblance  so  striking  to  the  Song  of  So- 
lomon, that  the  comparison  has  great  weight  with 
me,  to  prove  tbat  also  to  be  allegorical :  I  shall 
produce  a  few  instances  for  the  satisfaction  of  the 
reader,  and  many  more  will  be  alluded,  or  referred 
to  in  the  subsequent  commentary. 

The  most  striking  instance  is  that  of  the  45th 
psalm,  which  is  commonly  supposed  to  have  been 
written  on  the  same  occasion.  If  so,  it  could  not 
be  written  by  David,  because  he  appears  to  have 
died  before  this  marriage  ;  nor  yet  by  Solomon, 
because  the  writer  speaks  of  him  (a  type  of  King 
Messiah)  as  a  third  person,  and  tells  us  his  poem 
was  composed  to  be  recited  in  his  presence,  at 
least  as  I  understand  the  first  verse,  which  runs 
thus : 

'  My  heart  enditeth  a  good  matter; 

♦  I  will  speak  unto  the  kingj  that  which  I  have  composedt 

'  My  tongue  [shall  be  as]  the  pen  of  a  ready  writer. 

It  is  probable  then,  it  might  be  written  by  the 
prophet  Nathan,  the  author  of  the  beautiful  para- 
ble which  reproved  David's  sin*.  However,  there 
is  so  striking  a  resemblance  between  the  opening 

»  Lowth's -Lea.  XXXI.  *  2  Sam.  xii.  1.  Sec. 

M 


(     90     ) 

of  this  psalm  and  that  of  an  ancient  runic  poem', 
that'I  cannot  help  observing  it.  The  bard  it  seems 
had  been  taken  captive  by  the  enemy,  and  com- 
posed an  ode  in  praise  of  the  conqueror,  as  the 
price  of  his  ransom ;  whence  the  poem  is  called 
'  The  Ransom  of  Egill,  the  scald^'  or  bard,  and 
begins  thus  :   '  I  bring   in  my  bosom  the   gift  of 

*  Odin  [/.  e.  the  god  Woden]  my  mind  is  deep 
'  laden  with  the  songs  of  the  gods. 

'  I  offer  my  freight  unto  the  king  :   I  owe  a  poem 

*  for  my  ransom  :   my  lays  resound  his  praise.' 

The  following  verses  will  also  find  their  parallel 
in  the  same  and  other  psalms. 

'  The  drawn  bow  twangs  :   it  sends  forth  the 

*  arrow  to  meet  t/je  sword.     The  king  hath  gain- 

*  ed  a  firm  possession  in  the  enemy's  land.    Praise 

*  dwells  beside  him. 

*  /  /jave  published  the  praises  of  the  king :  I 

*  have  poured  forth  from  my  breast  the  praises  of 

*  Eric' 

Begging  the  reader's  pardon  for  this  digression, 
I  shall  now  recite  some  other  verses  in  this  psalm, 
referring  to  the  parallel  passages  in  the  Song  of 
Solomon.     Of  the  king  it  is  said  : 

'  Thou  ^vt  fairer  than  the  children  of  men  : 
<  Grace  is  poured  into  thy  lips.* 

The   following  words   seem  to  allude  to  the 

chariot  of  state  described  by  Solomon,  and  allego- 

rically  expressive  of  the  gospel. 

'  On  thy  word  of  truth,  of  meekness,  and  of  righteousness, 
'  ride  prosperously.' 


1  See  five  pieces  of  Runic  Poetry,  translated  from  the 
Islandic  language.     Dodsley,   1763. 
s  See  Sol.  Song,  ch.  v.  10,  13. 


(  91  ) 

And  in  the  next  we  have  express  mention  of  his 
perfumed  garments. 

'  Myrrh,  aloes  and  cassia  perfume  all  thy  garments.' 

But  the  description  of  the  spouse  is  so  strikingly 
similar  to  that  of  Solomon's,  that  I  think  there 
can  be  little  doubt  that  they  are  equally  allegori- 
cal, and  of  the  like  import. 

*  Kings  daughters  are  among  thy  honourable  women  : 

'  Upon  thy  right  hand  stands  the  queen  in  gold  of  Ophir. 

*  Hearken,  O  daughter,  and  consider,  and  incline  thine  ear: 

*  Forget  also  thine  own  people,  and  thy  father's  house  : 
'  So  shall  the  king  greatly  desire  thy  beauty. 

*  The  king's  daughter  is  all  glorious  within, 
'  Her  clothing  is  of  wrouglit  gold, 

*  She  shall  be  brought  unto  the  king  in  raiment  of  needle- 

'  work  : 

*  The  virgins,  her  companions   that  follow  her,  shall  be 

'  brought  unto  thee  : 
'  With  gladness  and  rejoicing  shall  they  be  "brought : 

*  They  shall  enter  into  the  king's  palace.' 

Several  passages  interspersed  with  the  above, 
demonstrate  that  this  can  refer  to  no  mortal  love ; 
but  must  be  allegorically  explained.  The  Chaldee 
paraphrast  expressly  applies  the  psalm  to  King 
Messiah,  and  so  doth  the  apostle  Paul ;  and  the 
analogy  between  this  and  the  Song  of  Solomon, 
strongly  pleads  for  the  like  spiritual  interpretation 
of  that  song. 

Isaiah  employs  imagery  of  the  same  kind  in 
the  like  manner.     To  Zion  he  says, 

'  No  more  shall  it  be  said  unto  thee.  Thou  forsaken  1 

'  Neither  to  thy  land  shall  it  be  said  any  more.  Thou  desolate! 

'  But  thou  shall  be  called.  The  obje6t  of  my  delight  ; 

'  And  thy  land  The  wedded  matron  : 

'  For  Jehovah  shall  delight  in  thee  ; 

'  And  thy  land  shall  be  joined  in  marriage. 


(     92     ) 

<  For  as  a  young  man  wcddeth  a  virgin, 

*  So  shall  thy  restorer  wed  thee  : 

*  And  as  a  bridcs^room  rcjoiceth  in  his  bride, 

*  So  shall  thy  God  rejoice  in  thee'.' 


Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  both  employ  the  same 
imagery :  the  latter  with  peculiar  boldness,  and 
in  a  manner  more  exposed  to  the  fastidiousness  of 
European  criticism.  I  shall  give  a  few  verses  that 
may  serve  to  illustrate  the  imagery  of  Solomon. 


*  I  clothed  thee  with  embroidered  work, 

*  And  shod  thee  with  badger's  skin  ; 

*  I  girded  thee  about  with  fine  linen^ 

<  And  covered  thee  with  silk. 

*  I  decked  thee  also  with  ornaments, 

*  And  I  put  bracelets  upon  thine  hands, 

<  And  a  chain  upon  thy  neck, 

<  And  I  put  a  jewel  on  thy  forehead, 

*  And  earings  in  thine  ears, 

'  And  a  splendid  crown  upon  thine  head; 

*  Then  wast  thou  decked  with  gold  and  silver  ; 
'  And  thy  raiment  was  of  fine  linen,  and  silk, 

*  And  of  embroidered  work. 

*  And  thy   renown  went  forth  among   the  nations  for  thy 

*  beauty  : 
'  For  it  was  perfect,  through   my   comeliness  which  I  put 
'  upon  thee, 

*  Saiththy  God,  JeiiovahS-' 


The  same  kind  of  imagery  occurs  in  the  New 
Testament,  tliough  less  ornamented  and  poetical, 
Jesus  Christ  calls  himself  the  bridegroom^  and 


■■    Bishop  Lowth's  Isa.  chap.  Ixii.  4,  5,     See  also  ch.  liv, 
6,7. 

^  Ezek.  xvi.  10 — 14.     See  Bp.  Newcome's  versionj  and 
compare  Lowih's  notes  in  Isa.  iii.  21. 


(     93     ) 

his  disciples,  children  of  the  bridechambcr^ .  John 
the  Baptist  speaks  of  him  in  the  same  character, 
and  calls  himself  the  *  friend  of  the  bridegroom^* 
St.  Paul,  we  have  seen,  employs  the  like  figures. 
In  the  book  of  Revelation,  the  new  Jerusalem  is 
described  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband,  and 
expressly  called  '  The  bride,  the  lamb's  wife.* 

These,  and  the  like  passages,  are  sufficient  to 
shew  that  the  metaphorical  language  of  Solomon, 
may  and  probably  ought  to  be  interpreted  in  the 
same  manner.  The  following  considerations  car- 
ry the  matter  farther. 

It  is  generally  admitted  that  the  sacred  canon 
was  compiled  and  closed  by  Ezra. — Ezra  was  a 
prophet — now  if  Solomon's  Song  had  been  a  mere 
nuptial  poem,  or  a  carnal  love- song,  how  are  we 
to  account  for  its  admission  into  the  sacred  canon, 
and  uninterrupted  continuance  there  ?  For,  though 
there  have  been  formerly  controversies  among  the 
Jews  about  the  books  of  Proverbs  and  Ecclesias- 
tes,  yet  there  never  was  any  concerning  this', 
It  deserves  also  to  be  considered,  that  this  book 
was  universally  admitted  in  all  the  translations  and 
ancient  versions  of  the  scriptures ;  and  allegori- 
cally  explained  by  the  most  ancient  commentators. 
The  ancient  book  of  Zohar  asserts  that  Solomon 
composed  it  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
The  Chaldee  Paraphrase  has  this  title,  '  The  songs 

*  and  hymns  which  Solomon,  the  prophet,  the  king 

1  Matt.  ix.  14,  15.  »  John  iii.  29. 

'   Gill's  Expos,  p.  2.  '  All  the  scriptures  are  holy,  but 

*  the  Song  of  Songs  is  the  Holy  of  Holies.'     Misnah,  Tract 
yit^daiiT),  quoted  in  Gill's  Expos,  p.  2. 


(     94     ) 

*  of  Israel,  uttered  in  the  spirit  of  prophecy  be- 

*  fore  the  Lord.'     And  R.  Aben  Ezra,  in  the  pre- 
face to  his  commentary,  says,  '  God  forbid  that 

*  the  Song  of  Songs  should  be  writtefi  or  binder - 

*  stood  of  things  obscene  ;  but  it  is  entirely  para- 

*  bolical^  and  had  it  not  been  of  very  great  ex- 

*  cellency,  it  had  not  been  written  in  the  cata- 

*  logue  of  the  holy  scriptures'.' 

Agreeably  to  these  sentiments,  many  of  the 
rabbins,  and  of  the  fathers,  wrote  allegorical  ex- 
positions of  this  book  ;  and  though  it  must  be 
confessed  their  applications  were  various,  and  of- 
ten fanciful  to  the  extreme,  they  all  (with  a  very  few 
exceptions)  united  in  the  general  principle,  that 
the  book  was  allegorical.  And  Jews,  as  well  as 
Christians,  are  of  the  same  opinion  to  the  present 
day.     So  Mr.  David  Levi,  '  This  poem  is  an 

*  entire  allegory — and  describes  the  conjugal  union 
'  of  God  with  the  Jewish  church. — This  is  the 

*  solemn   compa6l   so   frequently    celebrated   by 

*  almost  all  ^the  Jewish  writers  under  the  same 
'  image'.' 

To  confirm  this  idea,  I  would  add  lastly,  that 
this  method  of  explication  is  perfe6lly  congenial 
to  the  eastern  taste.  Sir  John  Chardin  says  of 
the  Persians,  that  '  the  most  serious  of  their  po- 

*  ets  treat  of  the  sublimest  mysteries  of  theology 

*  under  the  most  licentious  language,  in  the  way 

*  of  allegory,  as  Afez  in  his  Kasels^' 

1  Quoted  in  Gill's  Exp.  p.  2. 

2  Heb.  Eng.  Dia.  obu;. 

=  Quoted  in  Lowth's  Le6l.  XXXl. 


(     95     ) 

The  Kasels  (or  Ghazels)  of  Afez  (or  Hafez) 
are,  literally  taken,  Anacreontics  ;  but  Fericloun 
and  other  Turkish  commentators,  understand  '  the 
'  terms  of  loi^e  and  ixiine  as  expressing  the  trans- 
'  ports  of  a  soul  devoutly  attached  to  heaven.' 
The  eastern  writers,  and  in  particular  the  Gen- 
toos^  adopt  many  mystical  expressions  of  this  na- 
ture, and  talk  of  being  inebriated  with  divine 
love,  &:c.  It  has  been,  indeed,  suspected ,  that 
the  eastern  poets,  who  indulged  themselves  in  li- 
centious compositions,  endeavoured  to  throw  a 
'oeil  of  mystery  over  them,  to  conceal  their  shame: 
this  might  sometimes  be  the  case  ;  but  the  aus- 
tere and  exemplary  life  of  Hafez  pleads  strongly 
in  his  favour ' . 

But  I  cannot  do  justice  to  this  subje6l  without 
subjoining  the  following  interesting  extract  from 
Sir  W.  Jones's  very  curious  and  learned  essay 
on  *  the  mystical  poetry  of  the  Persians  and  Hin- 

*  dus*;'  which  is  so  complete  as  to  supercede  all 
farther  enquiries  on  the  subjeft. 

'  A  figurative  mode  of  expressing  the  fervour 

*  of  devotion,  or  the  ardent  love  of  created  spirits 

*  toward  their  beneficent  Creator,  has  prevailed 
'  from   time  immemorial   in   Asia ;    particularly 

*  among  the  Persian  theists,  both  ancient  Hushan- 
'  gis  and  modern  Siifisy  who  seem  to  have  bor- 
'  rowed  it  from  the  Indian  philosophers  of  the 
'  Vedanta  school ;   and  their  do6lrines  are  also 

*  believed  to  be  the  source  of  that  sublime,  but 

*  i?/c/i<jr£/5<?H's  Specimen  of  Pers.  Poetry.     Note,  p.  15. 

*  Asiatic   Researches,  p.  353  St  seq.  or  Works,  vol.  I. 
p.  445. 


(     96     ) 

poetical,  theology,  which  glows  and  spjlrkles  irt 
the  writings  of  the  old  academics. — '  Plato  tra- 
velled into  Italy  and  Egypt,  says  Claude  Fleury, 
to  learn  the  theology  of  the  Pagans  at  its  foun- 
tain head  :'  its  true  fountain,  however,  was  nei- 
ther in  Italy  nor  in  Egypt,  (though  considerable 
streams  of  it  had  been  condu61:ed  thither  by  Py- 
thagoras, and  by  the  family  of  Misra)  but  in 
Persia  or  India,  which  the  founder  of  the  Italic 
se6l  had  visited  with  a  similar  design.  What 
the  Grecian  travellers  learned  among  the  sages 
of  the  east,  may  perhaps  be  fully  explained  in 
another  dissertation ;  but  we  confine  this  essay 
to  a  singular  species  of  poetry,  which  consists 
almost  wholly  of  a  mystical  religious  allegory, 
though  it  seems,  on  a  transient  view,  to  contain 
only  the  sentiments  of  a  wild  and  voluptuous  li- 
bertinism :  now,  admitting  the  danger  of  a  poeti- 
cal style,  in  which  the  limits  between  vice  and 
enthusiasm  are  so  minute  as  to  be  hardly  distin- 
guishable, we  must  allow  it  to  be  natural,  though 
a  v/arm  imagination  may  carry  it  to  a  culpable 
excess  ;  for  an  ardently  grateful  piety  is  conge- 
nial to  the  undepraved  nature  of  man,  whose 
mind,  sinking  under  the  magnitude  of  the  sub- 
ject, and  struggling  to  express  its  motions,  has 
recourse  to  metaphors  and  allegories,  which  it 
sometimes  extends  beyond  the  bounds  of  cool 
reason,  and  often  to  the  brink  of  absurdity.' 

The  author  ^hcre  gives  some  considerable  ex- 
tracts from  Barrow  on  the  love  of  God,  and  the 


(     £»7     ) 

iTftysterious  union  and  communion  of  the  soul  with 
him,  which  he  thinks,   '  border  on  quietism  and 

*  enthusiastic  devotion' ;   and  then  adds,  that  these 

*  differ  only  from  the  mystical  theology  of  the  Sufis 
'  and  Yogis,  as  the  flowers  and  fruits  of  Europe 
'  differ  in  scent  and  flavour  from  those  of  Asia  ; 

*  or  as  European  differs  from  Asiatic  eloquence  ; 
'  the  same  strain,  in  poetical  measure,  would  rise  up 

*  to  the  odes  of  Spencer  on  divine  love  and  beauty; 

*  and  in  a  higher  key,  with  richer  embellishments 
'  to  the  songs  of  Hafiz  and  Jayadeva,  the  raptures 

*  of  the  Masnavi,  and  the  Mysteries  of  the  Bhaga- 

*  vat.' 

Sir  W»  Jones  gives  another  considerable  ex- 
tract on  the  same  subje6l,  taken  from  M.  Necker, 
in  which  he  represents  God  as  thus  addressing 
man  :  '  Your  nature  is  composed  of  those  divine 
'  particles,  which,  at  an  infinite  distance,  consti- 

*  tute  my  own  essence.'     This,   Sir  W.  says,  is 

*  the  exa6l  system  of  the  Sufis  and  Vedantis  in 
epitome.  They  believe  that  the  Deity  pervades 
the  universe  ;  that  he  alone  is  perfecl  benevolence, 
truth  and  beauty  :   that  all  '  the  beauties  of  nature 

*  are  faint  resemblances    only,   like   images  in   a 

*  mirror,  of  the  divine  charms  ;' — '  that  we  must 

*  beware  of  attachment  to   such  phantoms^  and 

*  attach  ourselves  exclusively  to  God,  who  truly 
'  exists  in  us,  as  we  exist  solely  in  him  ;   that  wc 

*  retain,  even  in  this  forlorn  state  of  separation 

*  from  our  Beloved,  the  idea  of  heavenly  beauty, 
'  and   the  remembrance  of  our  primeval  vows ; 

*  that  sweet  music,  gentle  breezes,  fragrant  flow- 

N 


(     93     ) 

ers,  perpetually  renew  the  primary  idea,  refresh' 
our  fading  memory,  and  melt  us  xvith  tender 
affe6lions  ;  that  we  must  cherish  those  affe6lions, 
and  by  abstracting  our  souls  from  vanity,  that 
is,  from  all  but  God,  approximate  to  his  es- 
sence, in  our  final  union  v/ith  which  will  consist 
our  supreme  beatitude.  From  these  principles 
fiow  a  thousand  metaphors  and  poetical  figures, 
which  abound  in  the  sacred  poems  of  the  Per- 
sians and  Hindus,  who  seem  to  mean  the  same 
thing  in  substance,  and  difler  only  in  expression 
as  their  languages  differ  in  idiom.  The  modern 
Sufis,  who  profess  a  belief  in  the  Koran,  sup- 
pose, with  great  sublimity  both  of  thought  and 
of  di61ion,  an  express  contra 6\,  on  the  day  of 
eternity  without  beginning,  between  the  assem- 
blage of  created  spirits  and  the  Supreme  Soul, 
from  which  they  were  detached,  when  a  celestial 
voice  pronounced  these  words,  addressed  to  each 
spirit  separately,  '  Art  thou  not  with  thy  Lord  ?' 
that  is.  Art  thou  not  bound  by  a  solemn  contra6^ 
with  him  ?  and  all  the  spirits  answered  with  one 
voice,  '  Yes  :'  hence  it  is,  that  alist^  or  art  thou 
?Joty  and  bcli^  or  yes^  incessantly  occur  in  the 
mystical  verses  of  the  Persians,  and  of  the  Turk- 
ish poets,  ^vho  imitate  them,  as  the  Romans 
imitated  the  Greeks.  The  Hindus  describe  the 
same  covenant  under  the  figurative  notion,  so 
finely  expressed  by  Isaiah,  of  a  nuptial  contradl; 
for,  considering  God  in  the  three  chara6lers  of 
creator,  regenerator  and  preserver,  and  suppos- 
ing the  power  of  preservation  and  benevolence 
to  have    become    incarnate    in   the   person   of 


(     09     ) 

Crishna^  they  represent  him  as  married  to  Racl- 
ha^  a  M'ord  signifying  atonement^  pacification, 
or  satisfaftion  ;  but  applied  allegorically  to  the 
soul  of  man,  or  rather  to  the  v.  hole  assemblage 
of  created  souls  ;  between  whom  and  the  bene- 
volent Creator  they  suppose  that  reciprocal  love, 
which  Barrov/  describes  with  a  glow  of  expres- 
sion perfedlly  oriental ;  and  which  our  most  or- 
thodox theologians  believe  to  have  been  mysti- 
cally  shadowed  in  the  So?ig  of  Solomon^  while 
they  admit  that,  in  a  literal  sense,  it  is  an  epi- 
thalamium  on  the  marriage  of  the  sapient  king 
with  the  princess  of  Egypt.  The  very  learned 
author  of  the  Prclectiones  on  sacred  poetry  de- 
clared his  opinion,  that  the  canticies  were  found- 
ed on  historical  truth,  but  involved  an  allegory 
of  that  sort,  which  he  named  mystical ;  and  the 
beautiful  poem  on  the  loves  of  Laili  and 
Majuum^  by  the  inimitable  Niz.'imi  (to  say  no- 
thing of  other  poems  on  the  same  subject)  is  in- 
disputably built  on  true  history,  yet  avowedly 
allegorical  and  mysterious,  for  the  introduction 
to  it  is  a  continued  rapture  on  divine  love  ;  and 
the  name  of  Laili  seems  to  be  used  in  the  Mas- 
navi  and  theodes  of  Hafiz,  for  the  omnipresent 
spirit  of  God.' 

As  to  Hanz,  our  truly  learned  author  observes, 

*  it  has  been  made  a  question  Vvhether  the  poems 

*  of  Haiiz  must  be  taken  in  a  literal  or  in  a  fia:ura- 

*  tive  sense  ;   but  the  question  does  rot  admit  of  a 

*  general  and  dire6l  answer  ;  for  even  the   most 

*  enthusiastic  of  his  commentators  allow,  that  some 


(      100     ) 

'  of  them  are  to  l3e  taken  literally  ;   and  his  editors 

*  ought  to  have  dislinguibhed  them,  as  our  Spen- 
'  cer  has  distinc:uished  his  four  odes  on  Love  and 
'  Beauty  ;  instead  of  mixing  the  profane  w^ith  the 
'  di\'inc  by  a  childish  arrangement  according  to 
'  the  alphabetical  order  of  the  rhymes. — '  Many 

*  zealous  admirers  of  Hafiz,'   Sir  William  adds, 

*  insist,  that  by  whic  he  invariably  means  dcvo- 
*■  tion — by  kisses  and  embraces  the  raptures  of 
'  piety,'  &c.  &c.  '  The  poet  himself,'  he  sub- 
joins, '  gives  a  colour  in  many  passages  to  such 
'  an  interpretation  ;  and  without  it  Me  can  hardly 
'  conceive,  that  his  poems,  or  those  of  his  nume- 

*  rous  imitators  would  be  tolerated  in  a  Mussel- 

*  man  country,  especially  at  Constantinople,  where 

*  they  are  venerated  as  divine  compositions  :  it 
'  must  be  admitted,  that  the  sublimity  of  the  mys- 

■  tical  allegory,  which  like  metaphors  and  com- 
'  parisons  should  be  general  only,  not  minutely 

*  exatSl,  is   diminished,    if  not  destroyed,  by  an 

*  attempt  at  particular  and  distinft  resemblances  ; 
'  and  that  the  style  is  open  to  dangerous  misinter- 
'  pretation,  while  it  supplies  real  infidels  with  a 

*  pretext  for  laughing  at  religion  itself.' 

The  learned  president  here  introduces  an  ode 
of  the  above  nature  by  an  ancient  Sufi,  surnamed 
Ismat,  in  which  the  mysteries  of  their  religion 
are  disguised  under  the  licentious  allegories  of 
love  and  wine  ;  and,  after  some  farther  extra6ls, 
concludes  this  elegant  and  ingenious  essay  in  th^ 
following:  manner. 


(     101     ) 

<•  Let  us  return  to  the  Hindus,  among  whom  we 
'  now  find  the  same  emblematical  theology,  which 

*  Pythagoras  admired  and  adopted.     The  loves  of 

*  Chrishna  and  Radha,  or  the  reciprocal  attrac- 

*  tion  between  the  divine  goodness  and  the  hu- 
'  man  soul,  are  told  at  large  in  the  tenth  book  of 

*  the  Bhagavat,  and  are  the  subject  of  a  little  pas- 

*  toral  drama,  entitled  G'ltagomnda :  it  was  the 
'  work  of  Jayadeva,  who  flourished,  it  is  said, 
'  before  Calidas,  and  was  born,  as  he  tells  us 
'  himself,  in  CenduU,  which  many  believe  to  be 

*  in  Calinga ;   but,  since  there  is  a  town  of  a  si- 

*  milar  name  in  Berdwan,  the  natives  of  it  insist 
'  that  the  finest  lyric  poet  of  India  was  their  coun- 

*  tryman,    and   celebrate,  in  honour    of  him,  an 

*  annual  jubilee,  passing  a  wdiole  night  in  repre- 

*  senting  his  drama,  and  in  singing  his  beautiful 

*  songs.* 

The  sum  of  our  evidence  in  favour  of  the  alle- 
gorical import  of  the  Song  of  Songs  amounts  to 
this  :  That  there  is  a  rational  ground  for  the  alle- 
gory in  divine  truth  ;  that  the  same  imagery  is  aL 
legorically  employed  in  other  undoubted  parts  of 
scripture ;  that  this  is  perfe61:ly  in  the  eastern 
taste ;  that  it  has  been  almost  the  universal 
sense  of  ancients  and  moderns,  who  have  studied 
this  book  ;  and  that  otherwise,  it  were  very  dif- 
ficult, not  to  say  impossible,  to  account  for  its 
admission  into  the  sacred  canon. 

It  has  been  said  that  some  of  these  arguments 
prove  only  the  possibility  of  the  case  and  not  the 
fa^l: ;  that  it  may  be  allegorical  and  not  that  it  i^ 


(     102     ) 

$o.  I  think  they  go  farther  ;  but  if  the  possibility 
of  this  facl  be  admitted  from  some  of  these  consi- 
derations, others  Avill  induce  a  very  high  degree 
of  probability,  sufficient  for  conviftion  in  the  pre- 
sent case.  For  instance,  if  from  the  eastern  taste 
of  composition,  and  more  particularly  from  the 
style  of  the  sacred  writers,  it  appears  that  the 
same  or  similar  images  are  employed  in  the  des- 
cription of  divine  mysteries,  it  surely  follows, 
from  the  admission  of  this  book  into  the  sacred 
canon,  that  very  probably  this  is  of  the  same  im- 
port :  at  least  that  those  who  placed  it  there,  and 
liad  far  better  opportunities  than  we  of  judging, 
thought  so  :  this  is  much  strengthened  by  the 
general  current  of  early  Jewish  and  Christian 
•v^  riters,  and  comes  nothing  short,  as  I  conceive 
of  sufficient  evidence,  to  satisfy  any  reasonable  en- 
quirer. But  to  fasten  the  convi6lion  and  com- 
plete the  evidence  I  have  reserved  to  this  place  the 
following  argument,  w^hich  being  of  a  moral  na- 
ture, stands  distinguished  from  the  rest'. 

The  argument  is  this  :  that  the  book  in  its  al- 
legorical sense  has  been  instrumental  to  the  com- 
fort and  edification   of  thousands  of  pious  Jews 


'  I  am  sensible  of  having  omitted  one  argument  on  which 
some  advocates  for  this  book  have  laid  considerable  stress  ; 
I  mean  the  difficulty  of  accommodating  many  parts  of  this 
poem  to  a  literal  sense  :  but  I  have  omitted  it  intentionally, 
because,  1st,  I  have  endeavoured  to  accommodalfc  the 
whole  in  this  manner  ;  and  2d,  because  there  is  a  like  dif- 
ficulty in  spiritualizing  the  whole  ;  still,  however,  I  am 
disposed  to  think  with  Mr.  Henley,  that  had  the  poem 
been  intended  merely  as  a  marriage  song,  some  passages 
would  not  have  been  admitted. 


(     103     ) 

and  Christians  of  all  ages.  Now  if  we  admit  a 
providence  superintending  all  human  affairs,  and 
especially  the  concerns  of  the  church,  how  shall 
we  reconcile  it  to  the  character  of  God,  to  sup- 
pose he  has  suffered  his  church  to  be  deluded 
with  a  mere  love- song,  and  in  the  opinion  of  the 
obje6lors,  a  very  loose  and  profane  one,  for  three 
or  four  thousand  years  ?  The  supposition  amounts 
to  such  a  high  degree  of  improbability  as  we  sel- 
dom admit ;  little  inferior  to  that  of  supposing, 
that  the  English  church  might  have  been  so  im- 
posed on,  as  to  mistake  the  poems  of  Rochester 
for  a  book  of  divine  hymns  and  spiritual  songs. 


SECTION  VL 

OF  THE  IK^PIRATION  OF  SOLOMON'S  SONG. 

c' 
THIS  may  rather  be  considered  as  an  inference 
from  the  preceding  evidence,  than  as  another  sub- 
je«Sl  of  enquiry.  For  if  this  book  were  written 
by  Solomon,  a  writer  confessedly  inspired,  and 
contain  the  divine  mysteries  of  revelation,  no 
good  reason  can  surely  be  assigned,  why  it  should 
not  be  admitted  of  equal  authority  with  the  other 
sacred  books,  and  particularly  with  other  books 
composed  by  him. 

Nothing  therefore  remains  but  to  consider  a 
few  objeclions,  which  have  not  been  above  dis- 
cussed ;  and  they  shall  be  taken  chiefly  from  Mr. 


(      104     ) 

Whiston,  who  lays  great  stress  upon  them,  and 
knew  how  to  do  them  justice.  I  shall  reduce 
them  to  two  or  three. 

I.  '  That  there  is  no  foundation  for  an  allego- 
'  rical  or  mystical  sense  of  this  book  ;   there  being 

*  not  the  least  sign  of  a  sober,  virtuous,  or  divine 

*  meaning  therein  ;   nor  any  thing  that  in  the  least 

*  concerns   morality  or  virtue,   God^  or  relip-ion, 

*  the    Messiah    or   his    kingdom  :'    nay    farther, 

*  that  the  use  and  introdu6\ion  of  double  senses 

*  of  scripture  among  the  Jews,  is  much  later  than 
'  the   days  of  Solomon^  and   cannot   therefore  be 

*  supposed  to  belong  to  any  book  of  his  writing*.* 

What  foundation  there  is  for  an  allegorical 
sense  in  this  book  I  have  endeavoured  to  shew 
above  :  and  if  this  be  admitted,  then  is  the  book 
full  of  morality   and  virtue,  God    and   religion, 

*  the  Messiah  and  his  kingdom,'  as  will  appear  in 
the  subjoined  commentary.-  - 

The  objed^tion  to  the  antiquity  of  allegory  is 
evidently  unfounded.  Solomon  employs  it  both 
in  his  Proverbs  and  Ecclesiastes^  ;  Nathan's  pa- 
rable  to    David'*    was    earlier,    and  that    of  Jo- 


^  Some  writers  have  added,  that  the  name  of  God  does 
not  occur  in  this  tjook,  as  an  additional  objeclion  to  its  in- 
spiration, liuttiiisis,  1st.  childish  and  nug-atory  ;  neither 
does  it  occur  in  the  book  of  Esllier,  which  is  much  longer  : 
2d.  It  is  false  ;  the  name  Jah  (a  contra6\ion  of  Jehovah) 
occurring  in  chap.  viii.  6.  Not  to  say  that  the  Messiah  is 
designated  throv;ghout  as  a  bridegroom,  as  by  the  prophets. 

2  Supplement  to  his  Essay  toward  restoring  the  Text  of 
the  Old  Testament,  p.  12,  13,  22, 

3  Prov.  viii.     Eccles.  xii.  •*  2  Sam.  xii.  1. 


(     105     ) 

tham'  still  more  ancient;  not  to  appeal  to  the 
writings  of  Moses,  nor  to  the  45th  psalm  above 
considered. 

As  a  kind  of  supplement  to  this  obje6\ion,  ano- 
ther writer  observes,  that  *  in  all  other  allegories 

*  there  is  something  to  fix  the  design,  and  to  as- 
'  sist  us  in  finding  out  their  meaning  ;'   as  well  as 

*  to  oblige  us  to  allegorize'  in  explaining  them  : 
whereas  this  affords  no  key  to  the  allegory,  and 
admits  a  literal  exposition*. 

But  neither  of  these  assertions  is  corre6l  and 
true.  Nathan's  parable  had  so  little  in  it  that  ap- 
peared allegorical,  that  David  took  it  for  a  true 
narrative  ;  and  Solomon's  allegory  in  Ecclesias- 
tes  has  been  much  disputed.  The  keys  to  most 
allegories  are  to  be  found  in  their  history,  when 
no  explanation  is  subjoined.  The  key  of  this  song 
is  to  be  found  in  the  45th  psalm  and  other  parts 
of  scripture,  where  the  like  imagery  is  employed 
in  the  same  way.  The  necessity  of  allegorizing 
this  book,  if  not  apparent  in  the  book  itself,  is 
sufficiently  evident  from  the  arguments  in  favour 
of  its  allegorical  design  :  and  the  difficulty  of 
otherwise  accounting  for  its  admission  and  con- 
tinuance in  the  Canon,  Nor  can  this  be  account- 
ed for,  as  this  writer  pretends,  from  the  Jews- 
partiality  to  Solomon  and  his  writings ;  other- 
wise, why  did  they  not  insert  the  Book  of  Wis- 
dom, and  other  ancient  pieces  v/hich  bear  his 
name  ?  Nor  is  it  likely  that  tlw  Christians  should 
adopt  it  out  of  complaisance  to  the  Jews,   since 

*  Judges  ix.      2  Dissertation  on  Solomon's  Song,  !75l. 

o 


(      106     ) 

the  first  Christians  were  above  this  suspicion,  and 
the  later  ones  would  rather  have  reje6led  than  re- 
ceived it  on  that  account.  But  to  return  to  Mr. 
Whistcdi ;   he  objetls, 

2dly.  That  neither  the  contemporary  nor  suc- 
ceeding writers  of  the  Old  Testament,  ever  quote 
or  allude  to  it'  : — neither  the  apocryphal  writers 
— neither  Philo  nor  Josephus — neither  Christ 
nor  his  apostles — nor  any  writers  of  the  first  cen- 
tury, though  many  of  these  were  much  given  to 
allegories  and  allegorical  interpretation. — In  this 
obje61:ion  I  have  condensed  several  of  my  authors, 
and  therefore  must  answer  them  distin6tly. 

I  am  not  certain  that  any  of  the  other  sacred 
vrriters  expressly  citc^  or  transcribe  from  this 
canticle  :  but  the  same  may  be  said,  not  only  of 
many  of  the  psalms,  and  perhaps  of  Job,  but  of 
Esther,  Nehemiah,  and  some  other  books;  and 
is  therefore  of  no  force.  Yet  it  is  most  certain, 
as  already  shewn,  that  other  sacred  writers,  both 
of  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New,  employ  the 
same  figures,  borrow  many  of  tlic  expressions, 
and  allude,  it  is  probable,  to  many  passages,  as 
may  be  seen  by  references  in  the  margin-,  and 
more  fully  in  the  commentary.     And  if  this  po- 

^   So  Dr.   Durell,    (Remarks   on   Canticles)    '  It  is    not 
'  quoted,  or  most  distuntly  alluded  to,   in    the  sacred  wri- 
'  tings.' 
*  Besides  the  passages  above  cited  compare  the  following  : 
Cant.  i.  4.  -svith  John  vi.  44. 

ii.  3. Kev.  xxii.  1,  2. 

15. Ezek.  xiii.  4. 

iii^  I.' Isa.  xxvi.  9. 

iv.  7. Ephes.  v.  27. 

1 1. Hos.  xjv.  7. 


(     107     ) 

sition  be  disputable,  it  can  only  be  from  the  simi- 
larity of  style  in  the  sacred  books,  whicli  makes 
it  doubtful  what  passages  are  referred  to,  and 
forms  therefore  an  argument  in  favour  of  our  hy- 
pothesis. 

The  like  may  be  said  of  the  apocryphal  writers, 
and  others  named  in  the  objection,  as  might  be 
shewn,  if  it  were  worth  while  to  be  minute.  The 
evidence  of  Josephus  has  been  considered ;  and 
Philo  has  few  quotations  from  the  scriptures. 
As  to  the  fathers,  if  some  of  them  have  omitted 
quoting  this  book,  we  have  its  authority  expressly 
allowed  by  Melito,  and  Origen  was  one  of  its 
most  celebrated  early  commentators  :  and  though 
we  consider  the  apostolical  constitutions,  so  high- 
ly praised  by  Mr.  Whiston,  as  an  imposture,  it 
may  be  worth  observing,  that  this  author  twice 
speaks  of  the  little  foxes  which  destroy  the  vine- 
yardsy  in  allusion  to  this  book ;  and  these  pas- 
sages seem  to  have  given  him  no  little  trouble ' . 


Cant.  iv.  15.  with  John  iv.  14. 

-V.  1. ,  iii,  29, 

2.  Rev.  iii.  20. 

Matt.  XXV.  5. 

13. xiii.  53. 

viii.  6.  —  Hajj.  ii.  23. 

vii.  11. Matt.  xxi.  33. 

14.  ■  Rev.  xxii.  17,  20. 

2  See  Gill's  Expos,  edit,  3d.  p.  11. 


(      108     ) 
SECTION   VIL 


FORMER   COMMENTATORS,  WITH  THE  PLANT" 
OF  THE  FOLLOWING  WORK. 


MY  last  objeQ  is  to  give  a  kind  of  historic 
sketch  of  the  expositions  of  this  book,  and  a  hasty 
view  of  the  principal  writers  on  it ;  noticing  par- 
ticularly such  as  I  have  consulted  ;  and  pointing 
out  to  the  reader  the  method  adopted  in  this 
-.vork.  It  must  not  be  expet^ed,  however,  that 
in  any  class  I  should  enumerate  them  all,  for  their 
name  is  legion. 

The  Jewish  commentators  shall  take  the  lead  ; 
and  first,  the  tar  gum,  or  Chaldee  paraphrase  on 
this  book,  which  is  very  full  and  copious,  and 
supposed  to  have  been  written  by  Joseph  the 
blind^  or  one-eyed.  That  this  is  not  of  the  high 
antiquity  which  some  of  the  Jews  pretend,  is  evi- 
dent from  its  containing  the  notion  of  two  Mes- 
siahs, which  Is  modern  ;  as  well  as  from  its  men- 
tion of  the  Talmud,  which  was  not  completed  till 
about  A.  D.  500.  A  translation  of  this  was  add- 
ed 03^  Dr.  Gill  to  the  first  edition  of  his  Exposi- 
tion. 

The  Jevoisb  commentators  mentioned,  and  con- 
sulted by  Dr.  Gill'  fa  master  in  this  walk  of 
learning,)  are,  beside  the  Targum,  Shirhasbirim^ 
Rabba^  Sol.  Ben  Jarchi^  jlbcn  Ezra,  Alshcch^ 
and   Talkut  Simconi,  with  the  books  of  Zohar 

^  Pr^;f,  to  Expcs» 


(     109     ) 

and  the  Rabboth  :  to  which  he  might  have  added 
JDavid  Kiynchi^  and  a  few  others,  vv'hich  he  con- 
sulted, perhaps  only  occasionally.  The  books 
of  Zohar  and  Rabboth  are  not  comments  on  this 
book,  yet  they  aftord  many  occasional  illustra- 
tions in  the  Jewish  manner.  These  writers,  who 
are  all  disposed  to  allegorize,  are  by  no  means 
more  unanimous  than  the  Christian  commentators; 
with  whom  also  they  agree  in  generally  turning 
the  figures  as  much  as  possible  in  honour  of  their 
church  arid  priesthood  :  ex.  gra.  They  tell  you 
the  eyes  of  the  church  intend  its  doctors^  as  if  the 
laity  were  always  blind.  Blessed  be  God,  he  per- 
mits  and  encourages  us  to  see  with  our  own  eyes. 

The  Canticles  were  pretty  early  a  favourite 
book  with  the  fathers,  and  (as  then  understood) 
suited  the  genius  of  Origen  to  a  tittle.  He  wrote 
copiously  on  this  book,  and  in  the  comment  trans- 
lated by  Jerome,  he  is  said,  by  that  father,  as 
much  to  have  excelled  himself,  as  in  his  other 
works  he  did  all  contemporary  writers ;  which 
was  certainly  intended  as  a  compliment. 

Gregory^  of  Nyssa,  wrote  fifteen  homilies, 
containing  an  allegorical  exposition  as  far  as  the 
middle  of  the  sixth  chapter.  He  was  followed  by 
Euscbius^  Cyprian^  and  others,  who  were  fond 
of  this  book,  apparently,  because  it  gave  them  a 
favourable  opportunity  to  display  their  w  it  and 
ingenuity  in  allegorizing. 

St.  Bernard  wrote  eighty-six  sermons  on  the 
two  first  chapters,  of  which  the  best  I  can  say  is, 


r    no   ) 

that  they  arc  commended  by  Erasmus,  doubtless 
for  their  piety  and  unction. 

Calmet'  has  given  a  long  list  of  authors  of 
the  middle  ages,  who  have  attempted  to  explain 
this  book  ;  of  whom  little  is  known  but  that  they 
exist  in  some  ecclesiastical  libraries ;  even  the 
names  of  the  following  only  seem  worth  enume- 
rating. 

Venerable  Bcde  wrote  seven  books  on  this  sub- 
je61:,  or  rather  six,  for  the  seventh  is  copied  en- 
tirely from  Gregory  the  Great.  This  work  was 
intended  as  a  defence  of  the  doctrines  of  Grace 
against  the  Pelagians  ! 

The  commentary  of  Fallot^  bishop  of  London 
in  the  12th  century,  with  the  compendium  of 
Alcuin^  was  printed  in  1638,  and  is  repeatedly 
referred  to  by  Dr.  Gill.  Of  Thomas  Aquinas'' 
comment,  the  only  thing  I  know  remarkable  is, 
that  it  is  said  to  have  been  di6\ated  on  his  death- 
bed. 

Scot  us  is  favourably  spoken  of  by  Poole  as  not 
one  of  the  last  to  be  named  of  this  period^, 

Genebrand^  a  learned  benedi6line,  wrote  two 
comments,  a  larger  and  smaller,  both  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  the  sixteenth  century  :  and  his  work 
is  distinguished  by  colle6lions  from  the  Rabbins. 
He  was  a  zealous  advocate  for  the  church  of  Rome, 
and  di^d  Bishop  of  Aix,  A.  D.  1597. 

1  Biblioth.  sac.  art.  5,  in  3d.  volume  of  his  great  dic- 
tionary. 

2  Syn.  Crit.  vol.  II.  Pref. 


(  111  ) 

Gasper  Sanctius  (or  Sanchez)  a  very  laborious 
Spanish  Jesuit,  who  wrote  critical  notes  on  most 
of  the  old  Testament,  and  particularly  on  the  Can- 
ticles, died  in  1628,  aged  75. 

Bossuety  Bp.  of  Mcaux,  was  the  first  writer,  I 
believe,  who  divided  this  book  into  seven  parts, 
answerable  to  the  seven  days  of  the  Jewish  wed- 
dings :  he  has  also  some  critical  remarks  on  the 
beauty  of  Solomon's  imagery,  literally  considered. 
This  eloquent  prelate  lived  to  the  beginning  of  the 
18th  century. 

Mercerus^  or  Mercier,  is  a  very  learned  com- 
mentator on  this  song,  and  the  book  of  Proverbs, 
whose  notes  are  chiefly  critical.  He  M-as  profes- 
sor of  Hebrew  at  Paris  ;  and  died  in  1562. 

Cocceius^  professor  of  theology  at  Leyden,  was 
a  learned  and  evangelical  man  ;  but  strongly  ad- 
di(?l:ed  to  allegorical  exposition.  This  writer  hath 
been  placed  in  contrast  with  Grotius  ;  and  it  has 
been  said,  that  the  former  found  Christ  eiicry 
where  in  the  Scripture,  and  the  latter  no  where. 
He  died  in  the  close  of  the  17th  century. 

Hufnagcl  and  Dathe  are  foreign  writers,  which 
I  have  not  seen,  but  have  been  favoured  with  some 
beautiful  extracts  by  a  friend. 

Bochart^  though  not  a  commentator  on  this 
book,  hath  learnedly  explained  such  passages  as 
refer  to  its  natural  history  and  geography.  Of 
English  commentators  the  following  are  the  most 
considerable  : 

Thomas  James^  D.  D.  published  a  curious  ex- 
position of  this  book  at  Oxford,  in  1607,  which 
\yas  entirely  extracted  from  the  fathers,  with  whom 


(      112     ) 

he  was  well  acquainted,  and  had  good  opportuni- 
ties of  consulting,  being,  if  I  mistake  not,  public 
librarian  at  Oxford. 

Henry  Ainswori/fs  learned,  though  concise 
comment  on  this  book,  was  first  printed  in  Eng- 
land, in  162G  ;  and  at  Franckfort,  in  the  German 
language,  1693.  This  is  a  most  valuable  exposi- 
tor, and  one  of  the  first  of  our  countrjinen  that 
paid  a  proper  attention  to  the  literal  meaning  of  the 
Old  Testament,  which  he  illustrated  by  quotations 
from  the  Rabbins. 

James  Durham  printed  his  exposition  first  at 
Edinburgh,  in  1668,  at  London  in  1695,  and  at 
Utrecht  in  1681.  His  remarks  are  sweet  and  sa- 
very,  and  he  was  the  model  of  most  succeeding 
expositors,  who  have  treated  this  book  rather  with 
a  regard  to  the  spiritual  improvement  of  the  rea- 
der, than  with  a  critical  view  to  the  genuine  mean- 
ing of  the  writer. 

In  1609  the  pious  bishop  Hall  published  '  an 
open  and  plain  paraphrase'  upon  this  book,  in 
which  I  confess  the  allegory  is  treated  with  more 
modesty  and  judgment  than  by  some  later  divines. 

Bishop  Patrick  produced  his  paraphrase  and 
annotations  on  this  song  in  1700.  Beside  investi- 
gating the  literal  sense,  with  considerable  pains, 
he  has,  in  the  paraphrase,  allegorized  the  whole, 
in  which  the  Rabbins  and  the  fathers  are  his  avow- 
ed guides. 

A  host  of  English  writers  have  indeed  written 
commentaries  and  sermons  on  this  book,  the  most 
considerable  of  v/hom,  beside  the  above,  are  John 
Dove^  John  Trappy  Arthur  Jackson^  and  Dr. 
Cnll'mges^    ^vhose    VvTitings,   especially  the  last's, 


(     113     ) 

at-e  evangelical  and  pra^lical ;  but  thfow  little 
light,  in  my  humble  conception,  on  the  true  mean- 
ing  of  the  book. 

Though  the  learned  Dr^  John  Oiven  is  not  a 
professed  commentator  on  this  song,  in  his  '  Com- 
*  munion  with  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,'  he 
has  given  one  of  the  best  spiritual  explications  of 
the  most  interesting  passages. 

We  come  now  to  the  present  century.  At  the 
head  of  this  must  be  placed  the  learned  and  labo- 
rious Dr.  Gi//,  *  whose  praise  is  in  all  the  churches.* 
His  Exposition  was  first  printed  in  1728,  and  here 
the  Dr.  hath  collected  every  thing  valuable  he 
could  find,  critical  or  spiritual,  either  in  Jewish 
or  Christian  vvriters.  This  was  improved  and 
enlarged  in  successive  editions,  of  which  the 
fourth  has  been  lately  printed. 

But  with  all  due  deference  to  so  gyeat  a  name, 
this  work  appears  to  me  to  have  capital  defeats  : — 
1.  It  confounds  and  intermixes  the  literal  and  al- 
legorical senses,  so  as  to  give  neither  distin6l  nor 
complete.  2.  It  colle6ls  (like  the  fisher's  net) 
such  a  quantity  of  observations,  good  and  bad,  as 
appears  to  me  rather  to  confuse  than  to  instruct. 
3.  By  applying  the  several  figures  to  so  great  a  va- 
riety of  obje6^s,  it  leaves  us  still  to  seek  the  right. 
But  my  chief  objection  is,  4.  To  the  minute  dissec- 
tion of  the  allegory,  which  appears  to  me  to  destroy 
both  its  consistency  and  beauty,  and  expose  it  far 
too  much  to  the  ridicule  of  profane  minds ' . 

*  I  have  omitted  mentioning,  '  The  Fair  Circassian,  a 
poem  imitated  from  the  Song  of  Solomon,'  printed  in  1720 
and  written  by  Dr.  Crg^all  in  earlj   life,  which  is  indeed 

P 


(    m    ) 

In  1751  was  published,  '  A  Dissertation  on  the 

*  Song  of  Solomon,  with  the  original  text,  divided 

*  according  to  the  metre  (upon  Bishop  Hare's  hy- 
'  pothesis)  and  a  poetical  version,'  (8vo.  Millar.) 
Dr.  Kippis  *  says  that  it  was  written  by  a  Mr. 
Gifford^  who  considers  the  poem  as  *  a  pastoral, 
'  composed  by  Solomon,  as  the  amusement  of 
'  his  lighter  hours,  just  aite^-  his  nuptials  with  Pha- 
'  raoh's  daughter.'  In  this  view  he  looks  upon 
it  as  a  very  elegant  and  beautiful  performance. 
He  thinks  it  was  in  the  gaiety  of  youth,  and  be- 
fore God  had  so  remarkably  appeared  to  him,  and 
given  him  that  divine  wisdom,  for  which  he  was. 
afterward  so  eminent^ !  This  date  he  builds  chiefly 
on  the  order  in  which  Solomon's  works  are  men- 
tioned by  the  Son  of  Sirach,  which,  with  the  au- 
thor's other  arguments,  has  been  considered  in 
its  place.  The  version  is  elegant,  but  being  in 
rhyme  is  of  no  assistance  as  a  translation. 

The  late  learned  Bishop  of  London,  Dr.  Loiutb 
in  his  Pralectiones^  since  translated  by  Dr.  Gre- 
gory, devoted  two  le6lures^  expressly  to  this  po- 
em, and  maintains  it,  as  we  have  already  seen,  to 
be  an  allegorical  composition.  Michaelis,  the 
learned  Gottingen  professor,  whose  notes  are  sub- 
joined, rejects  this  interpretation,  and  understands 
it  only  as  a  poem  in  the  praise  of  matrimonial 

the  only  apology  which  can  be  made  for  it;  since,  thougli 
the  version  is  extremely  elegant,  it  always  perverts  the  lan- 
guage of  Solomon  to  the  most  profane  and  licentious 
.meaning. 

1  Doddridge's  Leftur^s,  vol.  II.  p.  1 17,  note.  3d.  edit. 

2  Mon.  Rev.  1751,  p.  492  • 

3  Lecl.  XXX.  xxxi. 


(     115     ) 

}'o\ne ;  yet  he  admits  it  to  be  perfe6\:ly  chaste,  vc& 
well  as  elegant.  Rev.  Mr.  Henley,  of  Hendle- 
sham,  has  answered  these  in  other  notes,  in  which 
he  endeavours  to  support  the  allegory. 

In  1764  was  published  '  A  New  Translation, 
'  with  a  Commentary  and  Annotations,'  [thin  8yo. 
Dodsley,]  in  which  the  author  confines  himself  to 
tlic  literal  sense,  and  endeavours  to  correct  some 
passages  of  the  original,  which  he  supposes  may 
have  been  corrupted  in  transcribing.  This  work 
was  anonymous,  but  is  universally  ascribed  to  Dr. 
Percy ^  the  editor  of  Reliques  of  antient  English 

*  Poetry,'  and  since  Bishop  of  Dromore  in  Ireland. 

The  year  1768  produced  Mr.  Harmer''s  valua- 
ble volume,  entitled,  '  Outlines  of  a  Commentary 

*  on  Solomon's   Song,  drawn  by  the  help  of  in- 

*  stru6lions  from  the  East.'  This  work  contains, 
1.  Remarks  on  its  general  nature  :  2.  Observa- 
tions on  detached  places :  and,  3.  Queries  con- 
cerning the  rest  of  this  poem.  The  reader  will 
see  by  the  frequent  references  to  this  and  the  pre- 
ceding works,  how  much  I  have  been  indebted 
to  them. 

In  1772  Dr.  DurelJ  published  Critical  Remarks 
on  Job,  Proverbs,  Psalms,  Ecclesiastes  and  Can- 
ticles. In  the  latter  the  Dr.  considers  the  Song 
of  Songs  as  an  cpithalamium  on  Solomon's  mar- 
riage with  Pharaoh's  daughter  ;  the  composition 
he  supposes  of  a  middle  nature,*  between  the  dra- 
matic and  pastoral,  but  totally  excludes  any  alle- 
gorical or  spiritual  design. 


(     116     ) 

I  have  next  to  mention  a  Scotch  knonymou« 
publication,  written  in  1769,  and  printed  at  Edin- 
burgh in  1775,  entitled,  '  The  Song  of  Solomon 
'  paraphrased,  with  an  introdu6lion,  commentary, 
'  and  notes.'  This  work  is  dedicated  to  Bishop 
Lowth ;  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn  any 
thing  of  its  author,  who  appears  to  have  been  a 
Inan  of  learning  and  judgment,  and  is  peculiarly 
happy  in  his  divisions  of  this  poem,  which  appear  | 
to  me  preferable  to  those  of  Bossuet.  " 

The  next  version  (printed  1781)  was  the  pro- 
duclion  qf  a  lady,  assisted  by  the  late  learned  and 
ingenious  Mr.  Parkhurst,  viz.  '  A  poetical  Trans- 
'  lation  of  Solomon's  Song,  from  the  original  He- 
*  brew,  by  An?i  Francis j'  accompanied  with  notes, 
from  Percy,  Harmer,  Parkhurst,  &c.  This  be- 
ing in  rhyme,  like  that  of  Mr.  Gifford  and  some 
others,  can  be  of  little  use  to  a  literal  translator, 
and  the  division  of  it  into  a6ls  and  scenes  gives  rt 
too  much  the  appearance  of  a  "modern  drama. 

In  the  same  year  the  Rev.  W.  Green^  M.  A. 
rfe6lor  of  Hardingham  in  Norfolk,  published  a  new 
translation  of  the  poetical  parts  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  among  the  rest,  of  Solomon's  Song, 
The  lines  were  measured  and  divided  according 
to  the  hypothesis  of  Bishop  Hare,  and  contained 
many  passages  as  awkward  ^nd  unpoctical  as  the 
following  : 

Ch.  I.  5.       ^  Ch.  II.  7. 


I  am  black  as  the  tents 
Of  Kedar,  O  ye  duughters 
Of  Jerusalem,  yet  beautiful 
_'^^  the  tent  curtains  of  So- 


I  conjure  you,  O  ye  daughter* 
Of  Jerusalem,  by  the  roes, 
And  by  the  hinds  of  tht  field. 
That  yc  disturb  Bot,  nor  awake 
My  l9ve  until  he  please. 


(     117    ) 

There  are  some  good  lines,  and  some  learned 
observations ;  but  in  point  of  arrangement  and 
harmony  of  style,  the  reader  will  see  little  assist- 
ance is  to  be  derived  from  this  writer.  The  intro- 
dutlion,  commentary  and  notes,  are,  by  the  au- 
thor's acknowledgment,  chiefly  taken  from  those 
of  Dr.  Percy  above  referred  to. 

In  1785  was  printed,  at  the  Clarendon  Press, 
'  Solomon's  Song,  translated  from  the  Hebrew, 

*  by     Bernard    Hodgson^    LL.  D.    Principal  of 

*  Hertford  college.  This  version  is  in  measured 
Hnfes,  and  might  have  saved  me  considerable  trou- 
ble in  that  respe<St,  had  I  seen  it  before  mine  "was 
written.  I  have,  however,  availed  myself  of  se- 
veral of  the  author's  criticisms,  and  in  sqme 
places  correfted  my  version  by  them  :  in  others  I 
have  widely  differed  from  him,  and  given  my  rea- 
sons, Dr.  Hodgson  does  not  meddle  with  the 
allegorical  sense,  but  confines  his  attempt  to  an 
elegant  and  corre6l  version. 

The  latest  production  I  have  iseen  on  this  sub- 
je6l  is  the  following,  <  The  Preacher  and  Song  of 

*  Solomon,  newly  translated,  with  short  explana» 
^tory  notes,  by  Dr.  J,  C.  DUerlein:  This 
work  was  printed  in  Dutch,  at  Jena  j  but  an  En- 
glish literal  version  is  given  of  it  in  tlie  appendix 
to  the  15th  vol.  of  the  Critical  Review,  1705. 

The  late  excellent  Mr.  Rotnaine  published  a 
yoliime  of  praiStical  discourses  on  some  detached 
verses  of  this  book,  in  which  he  endeavours  t6 
avoid  the  whimsical  application  of  every  minute 


(     118     ) 

part  of  the  allegory,  as  practised  by  the  old  di- 
vines ;  and  recommends  a  mode  of- exposition  si- 
milar to  that  M  hich  I  have  adopted,  and  which  it 
is  time  I  should  hasten  to  explain. 

The  reader  is  now  in  possession  of  my  authori- 
ties, and  the  authors  I  have  been  able  to  consult, 
among  the  great  number  which  have  written  on 
this  book.  Should  he  enquire  what  method  I 
have  taken  to  profit  by  their  labours,  the  following 
particulars  will  inform  him  : 

1.  Having  attempted  from  the  original'  a  trans- 
lation as  literal  as  I  conceive  our  language  will 
bear,  I  compared  it,  especially  in  the  difficult 
passages,  with  all  the  others  I  could  procure,  not 
omitting  the  curious  colle6lion  of  versions  in  good 
Bishop  Wilson's  Bible.  But  as  my  obje6l  was, 
not  to  make  a  iiciu  version,  but  a  just  one,  I  have 
conformed  it  to  our  authorized  version,  wherever 
I  could  with  propriety,  and  consistent  with  an  at- 
tempt to  preserve  the  poetic  form  of  the  original. 
For  I  conceive  that,  when  two  words  or  phrases 
will  equally  agree  with  the  sense  of  the  author, 
<iur  ear  is  prejudiced  naturally  in  favour  of  that  to 
which  we  have  been  accustomed  :   and  moreover 

I  As  to  the  various  readings  of  the  Hebrew  and  early 
versions,  I  have  noticed  most  of  those  which  affefil  the 
sense,  especially  in  obscure  passages  ;  though  I  cannot 
say  that  they  remove  many  difficulties.  But  in  this  ar- 
ticle I  have  to  acknowledge  peculiar  obligations  to  a  learn- 
ed clergyman,  who  undertook  the  task  of  collecting  them 
from  the  massy  volumes  of  Walton,  Kennicott,  aud  Dc 
Kossi, 


(     119     ) 

that  there  is  a  certain  solemnity  in  the  style  of  GUI' 
translators  that,  in  general,  excellently  comports 
with  the  character  of  an  inspired  work.  This  done, 
my  translation  was  submitted  to  half  a  dozen,  or 
more,  literary  friends,  all  of  whom  have  more  or 
less  improved]it  by  their  corre6lions  and  remarks. 

Having  compared  these,  and  corre6led  mytrans- 
lation,  the  next  obje6l  was  to  subjoin  a  body  of 
notes  to  justify  its  propriety  ;  and  in  this,  I  have 
never  affected  to  be  original  but  when  necessary  : 
considering  any  authority  superior  to  my  own.  In 
the  few  notes  which  are  original  the  reader  will 
find  the  motives  which  have  determined  me. 

My  next  and  most  arduous  undertaking  was 
to  give  a  practical  and  evangelical  exposition  of  the 
allegory  ;  such  as  might  interest  the  most  pious 
reader,  without  disgusting  the  most  judicious,  and 
v/ithout  running  into  the  excesses  which  I  have 
censured  in  other  writers. 

The  general  hypothesis  I  have  adopted  is  that 
of  Bishop  Lowth,  Mr.  Henley,  Mr.  Harmer,  and 
other  of  the  most  judicious  modern  expositors  on 
the  allegorical  plan  :  but,  as  in  some  particulars  I 
have  differed  from  each  of  them,  I  think  it  unfair 
to  avail  myself  of  their  name  and  authority,  with- 
out stating  those  differences. 

Bishop  Lowth  observes,  in  a  passage  already 
cited,  that  the  sacred  writers  consider  Jehovah  as 
the  husband  of  the  church,  the  church  as  married 
to  him,  and  matrimony  as  a  sacred  symbol  of  their 
covenant  relation.     This  I  conceive  just  and  true; 


(     120     ) 

but  I  think  farther,  that  in  such  passages  regard  lit 
in  general  had  personally  to  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ; 
and  that,  on  account  of  his  assumption  of  humani- 
ty and  near  relation  to  us,  it  is  more  reverential, 
decent,  and  consistent,  to  refer  such  passages  to 
him,  as  is  done  by  the  writers  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, and  even  by  our  Lord  himself,  who  tells  us 
plainly  that  he  is  the  Bridegroom,  and  his  church 
the  Bride. 

Nor  is  this  inconsistent  with  the  opinions  of  the 
antient  Jews,  who  found  their  Messiah  almost 
every  where  in  the  Scriptures,  as  well  as  Paul  and 
other  Christian  writers.  Indeed  they  always  be- 
lieved their  (economy  to  be  peculiarly  under  the 
prote6lion  of  Messiah,  in  some  one  or  other  of  his 
characlers,  as  the  great  Angel  of  the  Covenant, 
the  King  of  Israel,  or  the  Son  of  God.  In  parti- 
cular, they  applied  to  him  the  45th  Psalm  (which 
of  all  scripture  most  resembles  the  Song  of  Solo- 
mon)  for  the  Chaldee  paraphrase  on  the  2d  verse 
says, '  Thy  fairness,  O  King  Messiah  !  exceedeth 

*  the  sons  of  men.' 

In  the  same  manner  they  applied  the  72d,  110th» 
and  various  other  psalms,  as  well  as  many  pas^ar 
ges  of  the  prophets. 

So  far  I  believe  his  Lordship  would  not  objeft, 
but  in  some  of  the  following  remarks  we  are  not 
perfe6lly  agreed.  '  Concerning  the  explanation 
'  of  this  allegory,  I  will  only  add  that,  in  the  first 

*  place  we  ought  to  be  cautious  of  carrying  the 

*  figurative  application  too  far,  and  of  entering  into 


(     121     ) 

*  a  precise  explication  of  every  particular.     Again 

*  I  would   advise  that  this   production  be  treat- 

*  ed  according  to  the  established  rules  of  alle- 
'  gory  in  the  sacred  writings,  and  that  the  author 
'  be  permitted  to  be  his  own  interpreter.'  So 
far  have  I  been  guided  by  his  lordship's  excellent 
admonitions.  He  adds,  '  In  this  respect  the  er- 
'  rors  of  critics  and  divines  have  been  as  numerous 
'  as  they  have  been  pernicious.  Not  to  mention 
'  other  absurdities,  they  have  taken  the  allegory, 
'  not  as  denoting  the  iini'Dersal  state  of  the  churchy 
'  but  the  spiritual  state  of  individuals  ;  than 
'  which  nothing  can  be  more  inconsistent  with  the 
'  very  nature  and  ground- work  of  the  allegory  it- 

*  self,  as  well  as  with  the  general  pra61:ice  of  the 

*  Hebrew  poets  on  these  occasions  \' 

But  here,  as  I  have  ventured  so  far  to  differ  from 
this  excellent  prelate  as  to  apply  many  parts  of  the 
allegory  to  the  spiritual  circumstances  of  individu- 
al believers,  I  think  myself  obliged  to  offer  some 
apology.     And, 

1.  I  consider  the  church  as  composed  of  indi- 
vidual believers,  and  that  there  is  an  analogy  be- 
tween the  dealings  of  God  with  his  church  in  ge- 
neral, and  with  individuals,  which  analogy  is,  I 
think,  plainly  pointed  out,  in  many  parts  of  the 
New  Testament.  Sometimes  the  sacred  writers 
compare  the  whole  body  of  believers  to  a  temple, 
in  which  they  form  living  stones,  being  buildcd 
on  the   only  foundation,    Christ  Jesus  :  at   other 

*  Le6\.  xxxi. 


(     122     ) 

times  they  consider  indi>'idLial  saints  as  temples  of 
the  Holy  Ghost' .  So  sometimes  they  speak  of  the 
church  as  one — the  Bride  the  Lamb's  wife  ;  and 
at  other  times  of  distin^l  churches,  or  individual 
believers,  as  ^severally  married  to  the  LoM*. 

It  is  in  this  manner,  I  think,  that  St.  Paul  alle- 
gorizes the  History  of  Hagar  and  her  mistress,  re- 
ferring to  the  two  dispensations,  while  at  the  same 
time  he  makes  a  practical  application  of  it  to  the 
consciences  of  the  Galatians  :  '  Now  we  brethren, 
'  as  Isaac  was,  are  children  of  the  promise'.* 

2.  As  to  the  prophets,  or  '  Hebrew  poets, ^  as 
his  lordship  calls  them,  they  were  certainly  experi- 
tnental  preachers.  David  was  a  prophet,  and  the 
Book  of  Psalms  may  be  considered  as  his  diary, 
relating  the  frames  of  his  mind  under  varying  cir- 
cumstances, both  spiritual  and  temporal.  Many 
of  these  passages  our  Lord  applies  to  himself; 
but  not,  I  conceive,  so  exclusively  as  to  prevent 
the  appropriation  of  them  by  believers  in  general, 
except  in  such  passages  as  refer  peculiarly  to  his 
divine  chara6ler  and  work.  This  remark  might 
in  a  degree  be  extended  to  the  other  prophets, 
though  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  more  sub- 
lime of  them  were  chiefly  engaged  with  predictions 
relative  to  the  church  and  to  the  world  at  large. 

3.  I  consider  the  allegory  to  be  designed  for 
purposes  of  piety  and  devotion,  which  cannot  be 
so  well  answered  without  such  an  application. 
This  may  appear  a  weak  argument  at-  first  view, 

t    1  Cor.  iii.  16,  17.     Ephes.  ii.  20 — 22. 

"  Rev.  xxi.  9.  3  Cor.  xi.  2.  3  Qa\.  iv.  22—31. 


b 


(      123     ) 

but  will  be  strengthened  when  we  consider  the 
do6lrineof  the  New  Testament,  that  '  whatsoever 
'  things  were  written  aforetime  were  written  for 
'  our  learning ;'  and  that  their  grand  design  is  to 
'  make  us  wise  unto  salvation,  through  faith 
*  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus.'  This  shews  both  the 
propriety  and  importance  of  a  particular  applica- 
tion of  scriptural  truths  to  the  circumstances  and 
experience  of  individuals.  Religion  is  a  personal 
thing,  and  that  professor  is  a  hypocrite,  the  feel- 
ings of  whose  heart  are  not  influenced  by  it,  as 
well  as  the  a6\ions  of  his  life. 

Mr.  Harmer,  who  admits  an  allegorical  sense 
to  this  poem,  considers  the  introduclion  of  two 
wives  of  Solomon,  as  best  adapted  to  figure  the 
different  states  of  the  Jewish  and  Christian  church; 
and  particularly  the  former,  as  provoked  to  jea- 
lousy by  the  conversion  of  the  latter  ;  and  I  freely 
confess  that-the  idea  at  first  struck  me  as  beautiful, 
and  was  chiefly  rejevSled  for  want  of  evidence. 
However,  at  the  suggestion  of  a  friend  I  have  re- 
considered, and  now  deliberately  rejeft  it,  for 
the  following  reasons,  which  I  submit  to  the  can- 
dour of  my  friend,  and  of  the  public. 

1.  I  conceive  that  Polygamy,  though  it  might 
be  winked  at,  or  tolerated,  in  some  particular 
instances  under  the  Old  Testament,  was  yet  ne 
ver  san6lioned  by  the  divine  Lav,  much  less  in 
the  excess  pra6lised  by  Solomon.  It  therefore 
does  not  appear  to  me  probable  that  this  circum- 
stance should  be  made  the  ground  of  so  sublime 
L\  mystery  as  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles,^ 


(      124     ) 

2.  It  appears  to  me  that  the  case  supposed  by 
Mr.  H.  does  not  give  a  just  representation  of  this 
mystery  :  the  case  would  have  been  more  parallel 
had  the  former  wife  been  divorced  for  infidelity 
to  the  marriage  covenant ;  for  this  is  evidently 
the  condition  of  the  Jews  ;  thoue^h  we  are  not 
without  hope  that,  in  a  future  day  they  may  be 
recovered  and  forgiven'. 

3.  The  Jewish  church  is  represented  as  of  fo- 
reign origin,  by  the  prophets,  and  this  circum- 
stance is  strongly  pressed  on  her  recolleClion. 
'  Look  unto  the  rock  w  hence  ye  are  hewn,  and 
'  to  the  hole  of  the  pit  whence  ye  are  digged.' — 

*  Thy  father  was  an  Amorite,  and  thy  mother  an 
'  Hittite^' 

It  must  be  owned,  indeed,  that  the  Jewish 
church  is  not  called  an  Egyptian  ;  yet  the  circum- 
stance of  coming  up  from  iigypt  is  very  appropri- 
ate, and  that  of  which  she  often  was  reminded. 

*  Remember  the  Lord  thy  God   which  brought 
,*  thee  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt.' 

If  the  forty-fifth  psalm  be  admitted  to  refer  to 
the  Jewish  church,  as  I  think  it  generally  has 
been  (though  not  by  Mr.  Harmer)  we  have  addi- 
tional evidence  on  this  point ;  for  there  she  is  ex- 
pressly exhorted  to  '  forget  her  own  people  and 
'  her  father's  house,'  which  certainly  implies  her 
foreign  extra61:,  and  properly  comports  with  our 
explanation  of  the  allegory  in  this  song. 

^   See  Rom.  xi.  throughout. 

3   Isa.  li.  1.     Ezek.  xvi.  3,  45,  46. 


(     125     ) 

4.  I  cannot  here  refer  to  all  the  passages  pro- 
jcluced  by  Mr.  H.  to  countenance  the  idea  of  two 
wives  of  Solomon — they   shall  be  considered,  as 
far  as  my  recolleftion  serves,  in  the  commentary  : 
but  I  confess  I  see  them  Vv  ith  different  eyes  from 
Mr.  H.     For  instance,  when  the  spouse  says,  '  I 
*  am  a  rose  of  Sharon,'  Sec.    it  appears   to  me  the 
language  of  modesty  and  self-diffidence  :    but  I 
perceive  nothing  in  it  of  jealousy,  or  reflection 
upon  a  foreign  rival,  as   suggested  by  this  inge- 
nious writer.     Had  the  jealousy  been  on  the  other 
side ;   i.  e.   had  the  Egyptian  princess  been  pro- 
voked to  jealousy  by  a  Jewish  rival,   it  might  have 
received  a  much   stronger   countenance  from  her 
language  in  the  first  chapter  :   '  I  am  black,  but 
'  comely,  O  ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem  !' 

5.  The  Gentile  church  appears  to  me  more  pro- 
perly introduced  in  the  last  chapter,  as  a  younger 
sister,  not  yet  marriageable,  as  I  shall  endeavour 
to  shew  in  the  sequel ;  and  this  I  believe  is  the 
unanimous  opinion  of  Christian  expositors,  both 
ancient  and  modern,  to  the  time  of  Mr.  H. 

The  last  thing  I  shall  notice  is  a  suggestion  of 
Mr.  Henley,  that  this  poem  was  probably  com- 
posed  on  occasion  of  the  dedication  of  the  temple, 
and  with  a  reference  to  that  event.  This  conjec- 
ture appears  to  me  very  ingenious,  and  I  confess 
that  I  do  not,  at  present,  see  any  material  objec- 
to  it,  as  Solomon's  marriage  with  Pharaoh's 
daughter  preceded  this  event  but  a  few  years  ;  and 
as  this  was  the  best  period  of  his  life  for  wisdom, 


(     126     ) 

piety,  and  happiness  :  at  the  same  time  I  confess 
also  that  it  appears  to  me  to  be  a  mere  conje6lure, 
unsupported  by  argument  or  authority. 

I  shall  not  detain  the  reader  any  longer  in  these 
preliminary  essays,  which  are  already  dispropor- 
tioned  to  the  size  of  the  work  ;  but  I  shall  imme- 
diately present  him  with  the  proposed  translation, 
unaccompanied  with  remarks,  except  to  distin- 
guish the  speakers,  and  mark  the  divisions  :  then 
I  shall  repeat  the  whole  in  convenient  portions, 
accompanied  Avith  a  commentary,  and  subjoin 
critical  notes  in  the  margin.  The  judicious 
reader,  aware  of  the  difficulty  of  the  undertaking, 
will  make  candid  allowances  in  an  attempt  wherein 
so  many  great  men  have  failed  :  and  the  pious 
reader  will  avail  himself  of  the  hints  offered  ra- 
ther to  suggest  subje6ls  of  meditation  than  to  ex- 
haust them. 


THS 


SONG   OF   SONGS, 


BY 


SOLOMON. 


tlit 


SONG   OF   SONGS, 


■VVHICK    IS    BY 


SOLOMON. 


SECTION  I.     list  Morning.^ 

Chap.  I.  SPOUSE. 

LET  him  kiss  me  with  the  kisses  of  his 
mouth  ! 
For  better  is  thy  love  than  wine  ; 

3  Because  of  the  odour  of  thy  good  ointments, 
(Thy  name  is  as  ointment  poured  out) 
Therefore  do  the  virgins  love  thee. 

4  O  draw  me  ! 

VIRGINS. 

After  thee  will  we  run. 

SPOUSE. 
The  king  hath  brought  me  into  his  chambersi 

VIRGINS. 
We  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  thee  : 
We  will  celebrate  thy  love  more  than  wine  : 
The  upright  love  thee. 

SPOUSE. 

5  Dark  am  I,  but  comely,  ye  daughters  of  Je- 

rusalem, 
As  the  tents  of  Kedar,  as  the  curtains  of  Solo- 
mon. 

6  Gaze  not  upon  me  because  I  am  black — 
Because  the  sun  hath  beamed  on  me. 

R 


(     1^0     ) 
Ch.  I. 

My  mother's  sons  were  angry  with  me  ; 
They  made  me  keeper  of  the  vhieyards  : 
Mine  own  vineyard  have  I  not  kept. 
[^Apostrophe  to  the  Bridegrooin.~\ 

7  Tell  me,  O  thou  whom  my  soul  loveth,  where 

thou  feedest  ? 
Where  thou   causest    [thy  flock]   to  rest  at 

noon  ? 
For  why  should  I  be  as  a  stranger 
Among'  the  flocks  of  thy  companions  ? 
VIRGINS. 

8  If  thou  thyself  knowest  not,  O  most  beautiful 

of  women, 
Go  thy  way  forth  by  the  footsteps  of  this  flock. 
And  feed  thy  kids  among  the  tents  of  these 

shepherds. 


SECTION  II.     \_lst  £'vem?ig,2 

BRIDEGROOM. 
9  To  the  horse  in  Pharaoh's  chariots 
Have  I  compared  thee,  my  consort : 

10  Thy  cheeks  are  comely  with  rows, 
Thy  neck  with  [ornamental]  chains. 

VIRGINS. 

11  RovvS  of  gold  will  we  make  for  thee, 
With  studs  of  silver. 

SPOUSE. 

12  While  the  king  is  in  his  circle  [of  friends] 
My  spikenard  shall  yield  its  odour. 

13  A  bundle  of  myrrh  is  my  beloved  unto  me, 
[Which]  shall  remain  continually  in  my  bo- 
som. 


(      131     ) 
Ch.  I. 
14  A  cluster  of  cypress  is  my  beloved  unto  mc, 

[Such  as  is]  in  the  vineyards  of  En-gedi. 


SECTION   III.     [2d  3Iorning.^ 

BRIDEGROOM. 

15  Behold  thou  art  beautiful,  my  consort : 
Behold  thou  art  beautiful !  thine  eyes  are  doves. 

SPOUSE. 

16  Behold  thou  art  beautiful,  my  beloved  ;  yea 

pleasant, 
Yea  verdant  is  our  carpet. 

BRIDEGROOM. 

17  Cedars  are  the  roof  of  our  house, 
And  the  Brutine  trees  our  rafters. 

Ch.  II.  SPOUSE. 

I  am  a  rose  of  Sharon  ; 

A  lily  of  the  vallies. 

BRIDEGROOM. 

2  As  a  lily  among  thorns, 

So  is  my  consort  among  the  daughters. 
SPOUSE. 

3  As  a  citron  tree  among  the  trees  of  the  wood, 
So  is  my  beloved  among  the  sons. 

In  his  shade  I  delighted  and  sat  down, 
And  his  fruit  was  sweet  unto  my  taste. 

4  He  brought  me  into  the  house  of  wine, 
And  his  banner  over  me  was  love. 

5  '  Support  me  with  refreshments  ; 
'  Strew  citrons  round  me, 

*  For  lam  sick  of  love.' 

6  His  left  hand  was  under  my  head, 
And  his  right  hand  embraced  me. 


(     132     ) 
Ch.  II. 

7  I  adjure  you,  O  daughters  of  Jerusalem, 
Before  the  antelopes,  and  before  the  hinds  of 

the  field. 
That  ye  disturb  not,  nor  awake 
This  lovely  one  until  she  please. 


SECTION  IF.     [2d  Evening.'] 

SPOUSE. 

8  The  voice  of  my  beloved  !  behold,  he  cometh 
Leaping  on  the  mountains,  bounding  on  the 

hills. 

9  My  beloved  resembles  an  antelope,  or  a  young 

hart. 
Behold  him  standing  behind  our  wall ; 
Looking  through  the  windows  ; 
Displaying  himself  through  the  lattice  work. 

10  My  beloved  answers,  and  speaks  to  me  : 

BRIDEGROOM. 

Arise,  my  consort,  my  beauty,  and  come  away, 

1 1  For  behold  !  the  winter  is  past ; 
The  rain  is  over — is  gone. 

12  The  flowers  appear  upon  the  earth  ; 

The  time  of  the  singing  [of  birds]  is  come  ; 
The  voice  of  the  turtle-dove  is  heard  in  our 
land ; 

13  The  fig-tree  ripeneth  her  green  figs  ; 

The  vines  [with]  their  tender  buds  yield  fra- 

grancy. 
Arise,    my  consort,    my  beauty,    and    come 

away  ! 

14  My  Dove  [who  art]  in  the  clefts  of  the  rock, 
Jn  the  secret  fissures  of  the  cliifs^ 


(     133     ) 
Ch.  II. 

Let  me  see  thy  countenance,  let  me  hear  thy 

voice, 

For  sweet  is  thy  voice,  and  thy  countenance 

is  comely. 

VIRGINS. 

[To  the  friends  of  the  Bridegroom.'\ 

15  Take  for  us  the  foxes, 

The  little  foxes  that  spoil  our  vines, 
For  our  vines  have  tender  buds. 
SPOUSE. 

16  My  beloved  is  mine,  and  I  am  his  ; 
He  feedeth  among  the  lilies. 

17  Until    the   day  breathe,  and  the  shades  flee 

away, 
Return  my  beloved,  and  be  unto  me 
Like  an  antelope,  or  a  young  hart, 
Upon  the  craggy  mountains. 


SECTION  V.     \_M  Morni7ig.-\ 
Ch.  III.  SPOUSE. 

Upon  my  bed  by  night  I  sought  him  whom  my 

soul  loveth  : 
I  sought  him,  but  I  found  him  not. 

2  '  I  will  arise  now,  and  go  about  the  city ; 

*  In  the  streets,  and  in  the  broad  ways, 

*  I  will  seek  him  whom  my  soul  loveth.* 
I  sought  him,  but  I  found  him  not. 

3  The  watchmen,  who  go  round  the  city,  founci 

me : 
'  Have  ye  seen  him  whom  my  soul  loveth  ?' 

4  Scarcely  had  I  passed  from  them, 

When  I  found  him  whom  my  soul  loveth  : 
I  held  him,  and  would  not  let  him  go, 


(     134     ) 
Ch.  III. 

Until  I  had  brought  him  to  my  mother's  house, 
To  the  apartment  of  her  who  bore  me. 
5  '  I  adjure  you,  O  daughters  of  Jerusalem, 

*  By  the  antelopes,  and  by  the  hinds  of  the 

'  field, 
'  That  ye  disturb  not,  nor  awake 

*  This  lovely  one  until  he  please.' 


SECTION   VI.     [3d  Evening.^ 

FIRST  VIRGIN. 

6  What  is  this  rising  from  the  wilderness,  like 

columns  of  smoke, 
Fuming  with  myrrh,  and  frankincense, 
More  [precious]  than  all  the  powders  of  the 

merchant  ? 

SECOND  VIRGIN. 

7  Behold  !   Solomon's  own  palanquin  ! 
Threescore   warriors   surround   it,    the   war- 
riors of  Israel, 

8  Every  one  having  a  sword,  being  skilled  in 

war  ; 
Each  [with]  his  sword  upon  his  thigh, 
Because  of  danger  in  the  night. 

FIRST  VIRGIN. 

9  A  carriage  hath  he  made  for  himself, 
[Even]   Solomon  the  king,  of  the  wood  of 

Lebanon. 
10  The  pillars  thereof  hath  he  made  of  silver  ; 
Its  carpet  of  gold, — its  seat  of  purple  : 
The  midst  thereof  being  lined  with  love, 
By  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem. 


(     135     ) 
Ch.  III. 

SECOND  VIRGIN. 

11  Go  forth,  ye  daughters  of  Zion,  and  behold 

King  Solomon 
In  the  crown  wherewith  his  mother  crowned 

him 
In  the  day  of  his  espousals^ 
In  the  day  of  the  gladness  of  his  heart. 


SECTION   VII,     I4tb  Mornhig.l^ 

Ch.  IV.  BRIDEGROOM. 

Behold  thou  art  beautiful,  my  consort ; 

Behold  thou  art  beautiful  ! 

Thine  eyes  are  doves,  behind  thy  veil. 

Thy  hair  is  like  a  flock  of  goats, 

Which  come  up  sleek  from  [mount]  Gilead. 

2  Thy  teeth  are  like  a  flock  [newly]  shorn. 
Which  ascend  from  the  washing. 

All  of  them  bearing  twins. 
And  none  of  them  miscarrying. 

3  Like  a  brede  of  scarlet  are  thy  lips. 
And  thy  speech  is  agreeable. 
Like  the  flower  of  the  pomegranate 
Are  thy  cheeks,  behind  thy  veil. 

4  Thy  neck  is  like  the  tower  of  David,  builded 

for  an  armoury  ; 
A  thousand  bucklers  hang  thereon, 
All  shields  of  mighty  men. 

5  Thy  two  breasts  are  like  twin  fawns  of  the 

antelope. 
Feeding  among  the  lilies. 

6  Until  the  day  breathe,  and  the  shades  flee  away, 
I  will  get  me  to  the  mountain  of  myrrh, 
[And]  to  the  hill  of  frankincense. 


(     136     ) 
Ch.  IV. 

SECTION   FIIL     l^tb  Evening.']  i 

BRIDEGROOM. 

7  Thou  art  all  beautiful,  my  consort. 
And  blemish  is  not  in  thee. 

8  Come  unto  me  from  Lebanon,  O  spouse 
[Come]  unto  me  from  Lebanon. 

Look  from  the  top  of  Amana, 

From  the  top  of  Shenir  and  Hermon  ; 

From  the  dens  of  the  lions, 

From  the  mountains  of  the  leopards. 

9  Thou  hast  ravished  my  heart,  my  sister,  [my] 

spouse, 
Thou  hast  ravished  my  heart  with  one  of  thine 

eves. 
With  one  chain  of  thy  neck. 

10  How  beautiful  is  thy  love,  ray  sister,  [my] 

spouse ! 
How  much  more  excellent  than  wine  ; 
And  the   odour   of  thine  ointments  than   all 

perfumes  ! 

11  Thy  lips,   O   spouse,  drop  [as]   the  honey- 

comb ; 
Honey  and  milk  are  under  thy  tongue  : 
And  the  odour  of  thy  garments  is  as  the  odour 

of  Lebanon. 

12  A  garden  locked  is  my  sister,   [my]  spouse  ; 
A  well  locked-^a  fountain  sealed. 

13  Thy  shoots  are  a  paradise  of  pomegranates, 
Together  with  the  precious  fruits  of  cypresses, 

and  nards. 

14  Spikenard   and    saffron — calamus  and    cinna- 

mon— 


(     137     ) 
Ch.  IV. 

With  all  the  trees  of  frankincense,  myrrh  and 

aloes — 

With  all  the  principal  aromatics. 

15  A  fountain  of  gardens,  a  well  of  living  waters, 
And  streams  from  Lebanon. 

SPOUSE. 

Awake,  O  north  wind  !   and  come,  O  south, 
Breathe   upon  my   garden,  that  its  aromatics 
may  flow  out ! 

16  My  beloved  shall  come  into  his  garden, 
And  eat  his  precious  fruits* 

M    Ch.  V.  BRIDEGROOM. 

I  am  come  into  my  garden,  my  sister,  [my] 

spouse, 
I  have  gathered  my  myrrh  with  my  aromatics; 
I  have  eaten  my  honey  in  the  comb  ; 
I  have  drank  my  wine  with  my  milk. 

[^To  the  Compa7iions.^ 
Eat,  O  friends  ! 
Drink,  yea,  drink  abundantly,   O  beloved* 


SECTION  IX.     ISth  Mornhig.-] 

SPOUSE. 

2  I  slept ;  but  my  heart  waked  : 

The  voice  of  my  beloved,  [who  was]  knock 
ing  : 

*  Open  to  me,  my  sister,  my  consort, 

*  My  dove,  my  accomplished  one  ; 

*  For  my  head  is  filled  with  dew, 

*  And  my  locks  with  the  drops  of  the  m^hi. 

S 


(     138     ) 
Ch.  V. 

3  '  I  have  put  off  my  vest,  how  shall  I  put  it  on  ? 
'  I  have  Avashed  my  feet,  how  shall  I  defile 

them  ?' 

4  My  beloA-ed  put  forth  his  hand  by  the  open- 

ing [of  the  door,] 
And  my  bowels  were  moved  for  him. 

5  I  rose  to  open  to  my  beloved, 
But  my  hands  dropped  myrrh, 
And  m)'^  fingers  liquid  myrrh. 
Upon  the  handles  of  the  lock. 

6  I  opened  to  my  beloved ; 

But  my  beloved  had  withdrawn — was  gone. 
My  soul  fainted  when  he  spake  : 
I  sought  him,  but  could  not  find  him  ; 
I  called  hirn,  but  he  gave  me  no  answer. 

7  The  watchmen,  who  go  round  the  city,  found 

me  : 
They  smote  me — they  hurt  me  : 
The  keepers    of   the  walls  plucked  my  veil 

from  me. 

8  I  adjure  you,  O  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  if  ye 

find  my  beloved — 
What  should  ye   tell  him  ? — That  I  am  sick 
with  love. 

VIRGINS. 

9  What  is  thy  beloved  more  than  [another]  be- 

loved ? 
O  most  beautiful  of  women  ! 
What  is  thy  beloved  more  than  [another]  be- 
loved, 
That  so  thou  dost  adjure  us  ? 
SPOUSE. 
10  My  beloved  is  white  and  ruddy, 
The  chief  among  ten  thousand. 


(      139     ) 
Ch.  V. 

11  His  head  is  wrought:  and  pure  gold  : 
His  locks  are  bushy — black  as  a  raven. 

12  His  eyes  are  like  doves  by  canals  of  waters, 
Washed  in  milk,  sitting  by  the  full  [pool] 

13  His  cheeks  are  as  beds  of  aromatics — 
[As]  towers  of  perfumes. 

His  lips,  lilies  dropping  liquid  myrrh. 

14  His  hands,  rings  of  gold  set  with  the  tarshish  : 
His  body,  bright  ivory  covered  v/ith  sapphires. 

15  His  legs,  pillars  of  marble  upon  pedestals  of 

gold ; 
His  asped,  like  Lebanon,  noble  as  the  cedars: 

16  His  mouth,  sweetness  itself;  yea  he  is  altoge- 

ther desirable  ! 
This  is  my  beloved,  and  this  is  my  friend, 
O  ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem  ! 
Ch.  VI.  VIRGINS. 

,  1  Whither  is  thy  beloved  gone, 
O  most  beautiful  of  women  ? 
Whither  is  thy  beloved  turned  aside  ? 
And  we  will  seek  him  with  thee. 
SPOUSE. 

2  My  beloved  is  gone  down  into  his  garden, 
Unto  the  beds  of  aromatics  ; 

To  feed  in  his  garden,  and  to  gather  lilies. 

3  I  am  my  beloved's,  and  my  beloved  is  mine  : 
He  feedeth  among  the  lilies. 


SECTION   X.     \Sth  Evening.} 

Cii.  VI. 

BRIDEGROOM. 

4  Beautiful  art  thou  my  consort,  as  Tirzah, 


(     140     ) 
Cir.  VI. 

Comely  as  Jerusalem,  formidable  as  bannered 

[towers.] 

5  Turn  away  thine  eyes  fi-om  me, 
For  they  liave  overcome  me. 

6  Thy  hair  is  like  a  flock  of  goats, 
Which  [come  up]  sleek  from  Gilead. 
Thy  teeth  are  like  a  flock  of  sheep 
Which  ascend  from  the  washing  ; 
All  of  them  bearing  twins, 

And  none  of  them  miscarrying. 

7  Like  the  flower  of  the  pomegranate, 
Are  thy  cheeks  behind  thy  veil. 

8  Threescore   queens   are   they,    and   fourscore 

concubines. 
And  virgins  without  number. 

9  An   only   one  is   my  dove,  my  accomplished 

one  ; 
The  only  one  of  her  mother, 
The  darling  of  her  that  bare  her. 

The  daughters  saw  her,  and  they  blessed  her; 
The  queens  and  concubines,  and  they  praised 
her  ; 

10  '  Who  is  this  that  looketh  forth  as  the  dawn, 
'  Beautiful  as  the  moon,  splendid  as  the  sun, 

'■  And  awful  as  the  streamers  ?' 

11  Into  the  garden  of  nuts  I  went  down, 
To  examine  the  fruits  of  the  valley  ; 
To  sec  if  the  vine  budded, 

If  the  pomegranates  blossomed. 
J.2  Ere  I  was  aware,  my  soul,  placed  me 
[As]  on  the  chariots  of  Amminidab, 


(     141     ) 
Ch.  VI. 

VIRGIN  1. 

13  Return,  return,  O  Solima ! 

Return,  return,  that  we  may  behold  thee  I 

vniGIN  2. 
What  would  ye  behold  in  Solima  ? 

VIRGIN  1. 
As  it  were  the  chorus  of  two  bands. 


SECTION  XL     \_6th  Mor7i'nig.'] 

Ch.  VII.  FIRST  VIRGIN. 

How  beautiful  are  thy  feet  in  sandals, 
O  prince's  daughter  ! 

The  cin6lure  of  thy  loins  is  like  jewellery. 
The  work  of  an  artist's  hands. 

2  Thy  clasp  a  round  goblet,  which  wanteth  not 

mixed  wine  : 
Thy  body  a  heap  of  wheat,  encompassed  with 
lilies. 

3  Thy  breasts  are  like  twin  fawns  of  the  roe  : 

4  Thy  neck  is  like  a  tower  of  ivory. 
Thine  eyes  are  as  the  pools  in  Heshbon, 
By  the  gate  of  Bath-rabbim  : 

Thy  nose  is  like  the  tower  of  Lebanon, 
Looking  toward  Damascus. 

5  Thy  head  upon  thee  is  like  Carmel ; 

And  the  tresses  of  thy  head  like  the  Porpura. 

SECOND  VIRGIN. 
The  king  is  detained  in  the  galleries. 
BRIDEGROOM. 

6  How  beautiful  and  how  pleasing  art  thou,  O 

love,  for  delights  ! 

7  This  thy  stature  is  like  the  palm-tree. 
And  thy  breasts  are  like  [its]  clusters. 


(     142     ) 
Ch.  VII. 

8  I  said,  I  will  ascend  the  palm  tree  ; 
I  will  clasp  its  branches  : 

And  thy  breasts  shall  be  to  me  [as  clusters  of 

the  vine, 
And  the  odour  of  thy  breath  like  citrons. 

9  Also  thy  palate  is  as  the  best  wine, 

Which  is  sent  to  those  whom  I  love  for  their 

integrity  ; 
And  causeth  the  lips  of  them  who  are  asleep 
to  murmur. 

SPOUSE. 
10  I  am  my  beloved's,  and  his  desire  is  toward 
me. 


SECTION  XII.     \_Qtb  E'vening.^ 

SPOUSE. 

11  Come,  my  beloved,  let  us  go  forth  into  the 

fields, 
Let  us  lodge  in  the  villages. 

12  We  shall  be  ready  for  the  vineyards, 
We  shall  see  whether  the  vine  flourish, 
[Whetlier]  the  tender  bud  open, 
[Or]  the  pomegranate  blossom. 
There  will  I  grant  thee  my  affections. 

13  The  mandrakes  yield  their  odour, 

And  over  our  gates  ai'C  all  precious  fruits, 
Both  new  and  old, 

[Which]  my  beloved,  I  have  reserved  for  thee. 
Ch.  VIIT.  spouse. 

0  that  thou  wert  as  my  brother, 
That  sucked  the  breasts  of  my  mother  ! 
Should  I  find  thee  in  the  street, 

1  would  kiss  thee,  and  not  be  despised. 


(     143     ) 
Ch.  VIII. 

2  I  would  lead  thee,  I  would  bring  thee 

Into  the  house  of  my  mother,  who  would  in- 

stru6l  me. 
I  would  cause  thee  to  drink  of  spiced  wine. 
Of  the  new  wine  of  my  pomegranates. 
[To  the  Virgins. ~\ 

3  His  left  hand  is  under  my  head, 
And  his  right  hand  embraceth  me. 

4  I  adjure  ye,  O  daughters  of  Jerusalem, 
Why  should  ye  disturb,  or  why  awake 
The  lovely  one,  until  it  please  him  ? 


SECTION  XIII.     [1th  Morning.-]    . 

VIRGINS. 

5  Who  is  this  that  came  from  the  wilderness. 
Leaning  upon  her  beloved  ? 

BRIDEGROOM. 
Under  the  citron  tree  I  courted  thee  ; 
There  thy  mother  plighted  thee  unto  me, 
[Even]  there  she  that  bare  thee  plighted  thee 
unto  me. 

SPOUSE. 

6  Place  me  as  a  signet  upon  thine  heart, 
As  a  signet  upon  thine  arm  : 

For  love  is  strong  as  death  ; 
Jealousy  is  cruel  as  the  grave  ; 
The  darts  thereof  are  darts  of  fire, 
Which  have  the  fiery  flame  of  J  ah. 

7  Many  waters  cannot  quench  love  ; 
Neither  can  the  floods  drown  it. 

If  a  man  would  give  all  the  substance  of  his 

house  for  love. 
It  would  utterly  be  contemned. 


(     144     ) 
Ch.  VIII. 

SECTION   XIV.     {jth  Ei^en'ing.l 

SPOUSE. 

8  We  have  a  sister  who  is  little,  and  her  breasts 

arc  not  [grown  ;] 
What  shall  we  do  for  our  sister  in  the  day  that 
she  is  spoken  for  ? 

BRIDEGROOM. 

9  If  she  be  a  wall,  we  will  build  on  her  turrets 

of  silver ; 
If  she  be   a  door,  we  will  enclose  her  with 
boards  of  cedar  : 

SPOUSE. 

10  I  am  a  wall,  and  my  breasts  are  like  towers  : 
Thence  was  I  in  his  eyes  as  one  that  findeth 

peace. 

TO  THE  VIRGINS. 

11  Solomon  hath  a  vineyard  at  Baal-hamon  : 
He  hath  let  the  vineyard  to  keepers, 

Each  shall  bring  for  the  fruit  thereof  a  thou- 
sand  siverlings. 

TO  THE  BRIDEGROOM. 

12  My  own  vineyard  is  before  me  ; 
A  thousand  to  thee,  O  Solomon  ! 

And  two  hundred  to  the  keepers  of  its  fruits. 
BRIDEGROOM. 

13  O  thou  who  inhabitest  the  gardens, 
The  companions  listen  to  thy  voice, 
Cause  me  to  hear  it ! 

SPOUSE. 

14  Haste  thee,  my  beloved. 

And  be  thou  like  an  antelope,  or  a  young 

hart. 
Upon  the  craggy  mountains. 

END  OF  THE  POEM. 


'^■■'■■■MaBta 


A  NEW 


COMMENTARY 


ON    THE 


SONG  OF  SOLOMON. 

WITH  NOTES. 


COMMENTARY. 


HAVING  in  the  preliminary  essays  endea- 
voured to  lead  the  reader  into  the  true  na- 
ture and  design  of  this  book,  and  the  principles  on 
which  I  conceive  it  ought  to  be  explained,  the 
object  of  this  commentary  is  to  apply  those  princi- 
ples, as  a  key  to  open  and  expound  the  book. 

I  have  given  my  reasons  for  considering  this 
poem  as  an  allegory — a  sacred  allegory  describing 
the  relation  and  communion  between  God,  in  the 
person  of  Christ,  and  his  true  church,  or  those 
individual  believers  of  which  the  church  is  com- 
posed. It  may  be  proper  to  enlarge  a  little  on 
this  general  idea  before  we  enter  on  the  explana- 
tion of  the  song  itself. 

I  have  said  that  God  is  the  Husband  of  his 
church,  and  have  shewn  that  this  idea  pervades 
the  scriptures  of  both  testaments.  In  the  Old 
Testament  it  is  the  Lord  Jehovah  who  is  thus 
described  and  represented  as  rejoicing  over  his 
church  '  as  a  bridegroom  rejoiceth  over  his 
'  bride  ;'  this  character  we  have  seen  the  ancient 
Jews  applied  to  the  Messiah — the  Messiah 
applied  it  to  himself — and  the  writers  of  the  New 
Testament  frequently  represent  him  under  the 
same  character,  and  the  church  of  God,  as  '  the 
*  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife.'  Now  as  'Jehovah 
'  our  God  is  one  Jehovah  ;'  and  as  Christ  Jesus 


(     148     ) 

is  the  only  head  and  husband  of  the  church,  xvc 
have  here  an  argument  for  his  divinity,  that  he  is 
one  with  the  Father,  as  well  as  with  the  church, 
and  therefore  properly  and  emphatically  called 
'  Jehovah  our  Righteousness.'  Indeed,  I 
consider  it  as  one  of  the  most  solid  arguments  on 
this  topic,  that  though  the  sacred  writers  are  al- 
ways careful  to  distinguish  between  God  and  thd 
highest  creatures,  and  will  not  suffer  an  angel  or  a 
seraph  to  compare  himself  with  Deity  :  yet  in 
speaking  of  God  and  Christ,  they  frequently  leav6 
it  ill  doubt,  which  is  particularly  intended — often 
use  the  terms  as  convertible  and  synonimous — 
and  never  betray  the  least  fear  lest,  in  consequence, 
too  much  honour  or  respecl  should  be  paid  to  the 
latter.  On  the  contrary,  our  Lord  himself  teaches 
us  that  '  all  men  should  honour  the  Son  as  they 
'  honour  the  Father ;   and  that  he  that  honoureth 

*  not  the  Son  honoureth  not  the  Father  ;'  a  seri- 
ous hint  to  those  persons  who  seem  to  think  that 
the  honour  of  the  Father  cannot  be  secured  but 
by  the  degradation  of  the  Son. 

The  characters  of  bridegroom  and  bride,  hus- 
band and  spouse,  imply  the  following  relative 
ideas : 

1.   Govemmefit    and    obedience:    '  He    is   thy 

*  Lord,  and  v.  or. ship  thou  him.'  Whatever  eva- 
sions our  fair  companions  may  invent  to  vindi- 
cate their  supposed  equality  with  their  husbands, 
they  can  have  no  place  here.  It  is  past  a  doubt 
that  Christ  is  the  sole  head,  and  supreme  go- 
vernor of  his  church— -and  that  he  claims  absolute 


(     149     ) 

and  unconditional  submission  and  obedience.  Nor 
can  there  be  any  thing  painful  in  the  idea  to  a  be- 
liever, when  it  is  considered  that  the  objecl  claim- 
ing this  respe6l  is  perfe6l  in  wisdom  and  good- 
ness, as  well  as  power ;  and  therefore  can  only 
employ  his  authority  to  the  happiness  and  advan- 
tage of  his  people. 

r 

2. '  These  relations  imply  protection  and  reli- 
ance. The  husband  is  the  natural  and  legal  guar- 
dian of  his  spouse ;  to  whom  she  is  in  all  cases 
intitled  to  look  for  support  and  defence.  The 
Lord  has  promised  in  all  circumstances  to  be  the 
defender  of  his  people  ;  and  they  are  authorized 
in  every  situation  to  look  up  to  him  as  their  pro- 
te6lor — '  a  very  present  help  in  time  of  trouble.' 

3.  These  relations  imply  reciprocal  affe^lion 
and  attachment.  Thus  '  Christ  loved  the  church 
'  and  gave  himself  for  it ;  that  he  might  present 
'  it  to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot 
'  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing  :  but  that  it 
'  should  be  holy  and  without  blemish  in  his  sight ' .' 
On  the  other  hand  the  Lord  demands  the  supreme 
and  entire  affcclion  of  his  church.  '  Thou  shalt 
*  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
'  with  all  thy  mind,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with 
'  all  thy  strength*.'  The  warmest  conjugal  af- 
feiSiion,  however  it  may  exceed  our  love  to  the 
Redeemer,  is  but  a  faint  image  of  his  love  to  us. 

4-.  They  imply  the  mcst  intimate  union  and 
communion  superior  to  that  of  every  other  rela- 

1  Eph.  V.  25—27.  2  Matt.  xxii.  37. 


(     150     ) 

tion ;  for  it  is  said,  '  A  man  shall  leave  father 

*  and  mother  and  cleave  unto  his  wife,  and  they 

*  twain  shall  be  one  flesh:'  The  apostle  Paul 
applies  this   spiritually.      '  This  is  a  great  mys- 

*  tery  :    but  I   speak  concerning  Christ  and  the 

*  church.'  Jesus  the  Son  of  God,  left  the  bosom 
of  his  Father  in  the  mansions  of  eternal  glory, 
and  demonstrated  his  infinite  afic6lion  by  dying 
for  his  church  upon  the  cross. 

5.  Marriage  induces  a  common  property  be- 
tween the  parties :  thus,  in  a  spiritual  sense, 
whatever  is  ours,  whether  health  or  wealth,  or 
life  itself,  is  certainly  the  Lord's  :  and  so  on  the 
otjier  hand,  it  is  our  unspeakable  privilege, 
that,  whatever  belongs  to  Christ  in  his  mediato- 
rial chara(Sler,  as  the  head  and  husband  of  the 
church  is  also  our's.  Thus  runs  the  inventory  of 
the  believer.     *  All  things  are  yours  :    whether 

*  Paul,  or  Apolios,  or  Cephas,  or  the  world,  or 

*  life,  or  death,  or  things  present,  or  things  to 

*  come  :   all  are  your's  ;  and  ve  are  Christ's  :   and 

*  Christ  is  God's.' 

6.  These  relations  imply  permanency  and 
fidelit)^ ;  for  the  love  of  this  state  should  not  be 
transient  nor  changeable  ;  but  durable  as  life 
itself.  Such  is  the  love  of  Christ ;  eternal,  be- 
cause he  is  eternal :  such  is  the  love  of  believers  ; 
immortal,    because    they    are    immortal.      And 

*  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of  Christ  ? 
'  shall  tribulation,  or  distress,  or  persecution,  or 
'  famine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword  ?  Nay  ; 

*  in  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  conquerors 
'  through  him  that  loved  us,' 


(     151     ) 

In  consequence  of  the  fidelity  required  on  the 
part  of  the  church,  idolatry,  of  every  kind,  is 
spiritual  adultery,  and  as  offensive  to  the  Lord, 
as  infidelity  to  the  marriage  bed  must  be  to  an 
afre6lionate  husband.  This  is  true,  not  only  of 
idol  w^orship,  or  the  worship  of  improper  objetls; 
but  also  of  all  inordinate  afi'e6lion  to  the  v^-orld, 
and  its  enjoyments.     So,  covetousness  is  idola- 

*  try,'  and  as  such,  a  species  of  spiritual  adul- 
tery. Thus  saith  the  Spirit  to  the  angel  of  the 
church  in  Thyatira  :  '  I  know  thy  works  :  — 
'  notwithstanding   I    have    a   few   things  against 

*  thee,  because  thou  sufferest  that  woman  Jezebel, 

*  which    calleth  herself  a   prophetess,    to  teach, 

*  and  to  seduce  my  servants  to  commit  fornica- 

*  tion,   and  to  eat   things   sacrificed   unto   idols. 

*  And  I  gave  her  space  to  repent  of  her  fornica- 

*  tions,    and  she  repented  not.     Behold,    I  will 

*  cast  her   into  a  bed',    and  them  that  commit 

*  adultery  with    her,  into  great  tribulation,  cx- 

*  cept  they   repent   of  their  deeds ^.'     From  this 

*  passage,  taken  in  connexion  with  the  context, 
it  appears  that  heresy^  as  well  as  idolatry,  is  con- 
sidered by  the  Head  of  the  church  as  spiritual 
adultery,  and  as  such  resented  and  punished  by 
him:  for  it  should  seem,  it  is  the  heresy  of  the 


^  *  A  bed,'  namely  of  sic!;ness  and  affliction  :  but  t!ic 
king's  MS.  reads  {/r 'I'fAaiKrjy,  *  into  prison.' 

2   Rev.  ii.  19 — 24. 

'  By  heresy,  I  understand  such  a  deviation  from  the 
grand  ?ind  fundamental  truths  of  the  gospel,  us  is  incon- 
sistent with  Christian  communion,  and  consequently  forms 
a  sect^  .which  is  the  primitive  idea  of  the  word  «/^£a-;s-,  he- 
resy. 


f     152     ) 

Gnostics,  x\ho  penetrated  '  the  depths  of  Satan' 
and  '  the  doctrines  concerning  demons,'  which 
are  here  particularly  alluded  to. 

Having  thus  far  considered  the  conjugal  cha- 
racters of  Christ  and  the  church,  it  is  proper  to 
enquire  who  are  intended,  mystically,  by  *  the 
*  virgins,  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem,'  and  '  the 
'  companions  of  the  bridegroom.'  Commenta- 
tors seem  divided  on  this  subject ;  but  we  have 
a  happy  clue  to  our  enquiry  in  an  infallible  ex- 
positor. When  the  dispute  was  agitated  betAveert 
the  disciples  of  John  and  those  of  Jesus,  v/hy  the 
former  fasted,  and  not  the  other  :  Jesus  calls  his 
own  disciples  '  children  of  the  bride-chamber',* 
which  seems  of  the  same  import  with  compa- 
nions '  of  the  bride-groom  :'  These  are  introdu- 
ced in  two  parts  of  the  song  in  a  manner  corres- 
ponding to  their  office,  Avhich  was  to  wait  upon, 
and  occasionally  negotiate  between  the  parties, 
as  well  as  to  partake  of  the  marriage  feast.  John 
the  Baptist  assumes  this  character  when  he  calls 
himself  '  the  friend  of  the  bridegroom^,'  rejoic- 
ing to  hear  his  voice.  This  chara6ter  seems  to 
answer  then  to  the  ministers  of  the  gospel :  as 
we  shall  find  what  is  said  of  them  does  to  their 
office. 

'  The  daughters  of  Jerusalem'  are  literally  its 
inhabitants,  and  more  particularly,  the  ladies  of 
ib&  palace,  and  the  female  attendants  on  the  Ha« 

»  Matt.  ix.  15.  *  lohn  iii.  5^4 


(     153     ) 

ram,  or  apartments  of  the  women  :  but  who  are 
mystically  intended,  is  a  more  difficult  question. 

That  it  cannot  design  mere  hypocrites,  which 
are  always  hateful  in  the  sight  of  God,  is,  I  think, 
sufficiently  obvious  from  the  manner  in  which 
they  are  introduced,  and  spoken  of,  as  well  as 
from  their  bearing  the  chara6lcr  of  virgins  who 
love  the  bridegroom.  And  yet  it  seems  desireable 
to  make  some  distinction  between  the  bride  and 
her  attendants ' .  I  should  suppose  therefore  that 
the  daughters  of  Jerusalem  may  intend  '  young 
converts,'  or  such  persons  whose  hearts  are  touch- 
ed by  divine  grace,  and  attracted  by  the  charms 
of  piety  and  holiness  j  but  not  yet  admitted  into 
their  full  privileges  as  believers,  nor  enjoying 
that  complete  communion  of  established  Chris- 
tians. In  this  inti^rpretatioi)  I  meet  the  ideas  of 
Dr.  Gill,  and  the  best  spiritual  expositors. 

So  much  for  the  characters  of  this  poem  :  our 
next  enquiries  should  be  direiled  to  the  time  and 
scenery;  avoiding  as  much  as  possible  the  use  of 
terms,  which,  though  harmless  in  themselves, 
are  profaned  by  their  application  to  a  licentious 
theatre. 

The  time  we  have  supposed  to  be  the  se'cen 
days  which  the  Jewish  weddings  lasted ;  but 
these  days  are  divided,  in  the  manner  of  the  He- 
brews, into  evening   and  morning,  which  seem 

*  It  may  be  thought,  that  if  the  spouse  intends  the 
Jewish  church,  these  virs^ins  may  be  proselytes  from  the 
Gentiles:  but  then  why  call  them  dausvhteri of  Jerusalem  ? 
The  daughters  of  a  place  are  in  scripture;  language  its  in- 
habitants.     See  Luktt  xxili.  28. 

U 


(     154     ) 

sufficiently  distinguished  by  internal  marks,  as  I 
shall  endeavour  to  shew  in  the  sequel  of  this  com- 
mentary :  but  as  the  whole  of  this  is  matter  of 
hypothesis,  rather  than  absolute  certainty,  I  have 
marked  the  periods  only  as  distindl  se6lions,  ad- 
ding the  common  divisions  of  chapter  and  verse, 
for  the  sake  of  reference,  as  in  our  common  ver- 
sions. 

It  is  an  important  observation  of  Bp.  Percy', 
that  the  marriage  festivals  of  the  Hebrews  began 
on  the  morning  after  the  celebration  of  the  nup- 
tials, which  always  took  place  at  night.  Here 
therefore  the  Song  begins  ;  and  this  sufficiently 
accounts  for  the  poet  introducing  no  account  of 
the  ceremony,  though  most  of  the  circumstances 
are  afterward  alluded  to.  He  adds,  that  after  the 
consummation  of  the  marriage  on  the  first  night, 
the  bride  and  bridegroom  associated  only  in  the 
day  time  during  the  continuance  of  the  feast,  which 
accounts  for  the  bridegroom's  absence  during 
two  nights  particularly  mentioned. 

The  ingenious  Bossuet  observes,  that  every 
part  of  the  Canticles  abounds  in  poetic  beauties  : 
and  he  shews  '  the  objc6ls  which  present  them- 
'  selves  on  every  side'  to  be  either  in  themselves 
*■  the  most  beautiful  in  nature,'  or  rendered  so 
'  by  contrast'  with  others  which  are  terrific  and 
sublime  ;  '  the  dens  of  the  lions,'  and  '  the  moun- 
*  tains  of  the  leopards.' — These  beauties  it  will 
be  part  of  our  employment  to  survey  as  we  travel 
through  them  :  and  to  diredl  oin*  views  to  objefts 
of  a  spiritual  nature,  still  more  beautiful  and 
sublime. 

1  New  Translation,  p.  19.  See  also  Lewis's  Heb. 
Autiq.  Vol.  III.  p.  308. 


(     155     ) 
SECTION    I. 

Ch.  I.  ver.  2—4. 
[T'lRST  Day. — Mornfng.'] 

Spouse.      Let  him  kiss  me  with  the  kisses  of  his  mouth '. 

For  better  is  thy  love  than  -".vine  : 

Because  of  the  odour  of  thy  good  ointments 

(Tliy  name  is  as  ointment  poured  out) 

Thei'eiore  do  the  virgins  love  thee. 

O  (h'uw  me  ! 
Virgins.  After  thee  vill  we  run. 

Spouse.      The  kint^  hath  brought  me  into  his  chambers. 
Virgins,    We  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  thee  : 

We  will  celebrate  thy  love  more  than  wine. 

The  upright  love  thee. 

THE  scene  of  this  first  se6lion  is  evidently  the 
royal  apartments  of  the  women,  called  by  the 
Hebrews  Hadarim,  and  by  the  Turks,  the  ta- 
vern. Here  the  royal  spouse  is  supposed  to  be 
newly  introduced,  and  is  accompanied  by  the 
virgin  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  her  attendants.- — 
The  time  appears  to  be  the  ?norning;  because  she 
purposes  to  meet  her  beloved  in  his  noon  retire- 
ment ;  and,  as  I  conceive,  the  morning  after  the 
celebration  of  the  nuptials. 

The  poem  commences  with  an  abrupt  expres- 
sion of  the  attachment  of  the  spouse  to  her  be- 
loved, without  naming  the  obje<Sl  of  her  affec- 
tions :  a  circumstance  which  strongly  indicates 
their  sincerity  and  ardour.  This  is,  literally 
taken,  a  poetical  beauty  ;  and  spiritually  under- 
stood, highly  characteristic  of  a  mind  full  of  sen. 
timents  of  piety  and  devotion.  The  church  is 
supposed  to  be  deeply  engaged  in  meditating  on 
Jiis  txpecled   appearance,    wdio   is   styled,   '  the 


(     156     ) 

*  desire  of  all  nations,'  but  was  most  eminently 
so  of  the  believing  Jews,  who  '  waited  for  hissal- 
'  vation.'  Thus  the  elegiac  prophet,  full  of  his 
affiidions,  and  deeply  impressed  with  a  convidion 
that  they  sprang  not  out  of  the  dust,  thinks  it  un  • 
necessary  to  name  their  author. 

'  I  am  the  man  that  hath  seen  affliclion  by  the  rod  of  his 

\vrath. 
'  Hk  hiith  brought  me  into  darkness,  and  not  into  light. 

So  Mary  Magdalen,  when  she  supposed  her- 
self conversing  viith  the  gardener,  seemed  to 
think  it  unnecessarj^  to  name  the  obje6l  of  her  so- 
licitude— '  Sir,  if  thou  hast  borne  him  hence» 
'  tell  me  where  thou  hast  laid  him.'  Her  mind 
was  full  of  Jesus,  and  she  thought  that  he  also 
occupied  the  attention  of  all  others.  Such  is  the 
frame  of  soul,  in  v/hich  the  church — the  believer 
exclaims, 

'  Let  him  kiss  me  v/ith  the  kisses  of  his  mouth.' 

We  may  write  here,  as  the  heathen  inscribed 
upon  their  temples — '  Far  hence  be  the  profane  !' 
A  kiss  was  a  token  qf  reconciliation  and  submis- 
sion, and  was  thus  figuratively  used  by  David  in 
a  similar   application  :   '  Kiss  the   son  lest  he  be 

*  angry.' 

But  the  kiss  here  is  intended  as  a  mark  of  con- 
jugal afte61:ion.  '  Now  the  king  hath  honoured 
'  me  with  the  character  and  rank  of  a  royal  bride, 
'  let  him  not  withhold  the  tokens  of  his  conjugal 
'  affe6lion.' 

s 

Profane  minds  may  ridicule  images  borrowed 
fi'om  conjugal  affe6lions  and  embraces,  as  if  these 


(     157     ) 

were  something  impure  or  improper ;  but  the 
holy  Author  of  this  state  hath  san6liiied  it  by  his 
appointment,  his  blessing,  and  the  adoption  of 
these    images   in  many  parts  of  scripture  ;    and 

*  what  God  hath  cleansed  let  no  man  call  common 

*  or  unclean.' 

The  expression,  '  kisses  of  his  mouth,'  hath 
been  marked  as  hebraistic  and  poetical :  it  cer- 
tainly well  agrees  with  the  antiquity  and  simpli- 
city of  the  language  ;  but  it  is  not  merely  redun- 
dant, or  emphatical :  it  distinguishes  the  kiss  of 
love  from  that  of  mere  submission  and  obedience. 
Servants  and  subje6ls  might  be  allowed  to  kiss 
the  hands  or  feet  of  their  prince  ;  but  to  be  kissed 
by  him,  to  be  favoured  with  '  the  kisses  of  his 

*  mouth,'  implies  the  highest  degree  of  familiarity 
and  affeclion. 

The  next  line  introduces  a  change  of  persons 
in  my  conception  highly  beautiful  and  poetical. 
I  see  no  reason  for  supposing,  as  many  have  done, 
that  the  king  is  introduced  here,  or  in  any  part  of 
this  section.  It  appears  to  me  to  injure  the  beauty 
of  the  following  sentiments.  But  the  change  of 
person  is  another  mark  of  the  situation  of  the 
speaker's  mind.  The  same  principle  on  which 
we  account  for  the  omission  of  her  beloved's 
name,  will  account  for  this  change  of  person. 
The  same  love  which  so  engrossed  her  mind  as  to 
render  it  superfluous  to  name  the  objeft  of  her 
attachment,  realized  his  image,  and  led  her  to 
speak  as  if   he  had  been  present,  without  that 


(     158     ) 

restraint   which    his   presence    might    have   im- 
posed ' . 

'  Because  better  is  thy  love^  than  wine.'  It  is 
the  excellency  of  this  love  that  made  the  spouse 
so  anxious  for  discoveries  of  it.  The  term  for 
lo'uc  is  plural  in  the  original,  as  intending  the  va- 
rious instances  of  this  love,  and  the  different  me- 
tiiods  in  which  it  is  displayed:  it  might  therefore 
have  been  rendered  affections^  but  I  have  not 
thought  the  change  important. 

The  love  of  God  has  been  compared  to  wi;/<?, 
both  for  its  qualities  and  efte6ls.  The  qualities  of 
good  Avine,  are  age  and  strength  :  the  love  of 
Christ  is  '  stronger  than  death,'  and  more  antient, 
for  it  is  from  everlasting  :  but  the  effects  of  good 
wine  are  chiefly  pointed  at  when  it  is  employed  as 
a  sacred  metaphor. 

'  Give  strong-  drink  unto  him  that  is  reudv  to  perish, 
■^  And, wine  to  those  that  be  bitter  of  souP.' 

The  discoveries  of  divine  \o\^  then  are  more 
animating  and  consolatory  than  wine  is  to  the 
faint  and  heavy  hearted. 

The  literal  sense  of  the  following  verse  is,  that 
the  king's  fame  attra6led  love  and  admiration, 

^  Those  who  suppose  this  poem  to  have  been  sung  as  an 
cpithalamium,  or  to  include  part  of  the  processional  songs, 
consider  these  verses  as  part  of  the  chorus  ;  but  I  consider 
this  as  a  circunistance  so  very  uncertain  thfit  I  have  not 
ventured  to  offer  any  opinion  on  it. 

2  The  LXX,  VulgAte,  and  Arabic,  both  here  and  in 
verse  4,  read  '  breasts,'  instead  of  *  loyes,'  but  they  ar? 
not  siipported  by  MSS.  and  the  common  reading  seems 
preferable. 

^  Prov.  xxxi,  6,     Margin, 


(     159     ) 

1.  The   king's  name   is    compared   to   *  good 

*  ointments,'  not  medicinal,  but  such  as  were 
used  for  perfume,  which  alone  are  uniformly  in- 
tended in  this  song.  For  though  perfumes  em- 
ployed by  men  are  considered  as  marks  of  effemi- 
nacy with  us,  it  is  far  otherwise  in  the  east,  es- 
pecially on  nuptial  occasions.  In  the  45th  p^alm 
not  only  is  the  king  said  to  be  '  anointed  with  the 

*  oil  of  gladness;'  but  even  his  garments  to  be 
perfumed  with  *  myrrh,  aloes,  and  cassia.'  The 
same  custom  obtains  among  the  Turks  and  Ara- 
bians to  this  day'.  The  comparison  imports,  that 
as  liquid  perfume,  poured  out,  diffuses  its  fra- 
grancy  around  ;  so  the  report  of  the  king's  virtues 
and  greatness,  attra^^ed  the  love  and  admiration 
of  all  who  heard  it.  Thus  Solomon  elsewhere 
observes,  *  A  good  name  is  better  than  precious 

*  ointment* :'  and  Martial  has  told  us  that  the 
names  of  lovers  to  each  other  are  sweeter  than 
nectnr^ . 

The  application  of  this  in  the  allegory  is  both 
easy  and  beautiful.  It  is  the  great  objeiSt  of  the 
gospel  to  exalt  King  Messiah,  and  to  spread  the 
honour  of  his  name :  the  vi6lories  of  the  cross, 
and  the  labours  of  redeeming  love,  have  a  strong 
attractive  power  to  draw  enquiring  souls  to  Christ; 
and  he  is  exalted  to  this  end,  that  he  might  in  this 
manner  draw  all  men  unto  him.  Commentators, 
in  general,  apply  the  expression  of  ointments  and 


*  Harmer  on  Song  of  Sol.  p.  120,   125. 
^  Eccles.  Yii.  I.  *  Lib.  ix.  Ep.  9. 


(     160     ) 

perfumes  mystically  to  the  gifts  and  graces  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  with  which  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
was  anointed  beyond  measure  :  and  it  is  true,  by 
these  influences  alone  men  are  drawn  unto  him  : 
as  we  may  more  particularly  observe  on  the  first 
clause  of  the  following  verse  : 

*  O  draw  me  !'  Aben  Ezra,  and  some  others, 
understand  this  as  the  language  of  the  virgins 
severally  expressed  ;  but  it  appears  to  me  much 
more  natural  to  divide  the  line  as  I  have  done  on 
the  suggestion  of  Bishop  Patrick,  and  under- 
stand this  clause  as  an  apostrophe  to  the  beloved 
— '  0  draw  me  ! — Draw  me  Vv'ith  the  report  of 
thy  virtues  and  excellencies  !  Draw  me  with  the 
discoveries  of  thy  kindness,  and  affe6tions  !  Draw 
me  with  the  fragrance  of  thy  perfumes  : — that  is, 
spiritually,  by  the  gracious  influences  of  thy  good 
Spirit.' 

This  drawing,  as  Gill  observes,  implies  no 
restraint  or  violence  upon  the  will.  The  sick  are 
drawn  by  the  report  of  a  good  physician,  or  a  me- 
dical spring  :  the  poor  are  drawn  by  a  chara61:er 
of  extensive  benevolence  and  liberality  :  all  men 
feel  more  or  less  the  attra6lions  of  interest  or  of 
pleasure  ;  and  none  complain  of  it  as  a  violence  : 
so  it  was  an  especial  promise  of  the  Messiah,  '  And 

*  I,  when  I  am  lifted  up,  will  draw^  ail  men  unto 

*  me.' 

The  drawing  here  intended  does  not,  however, 
so  much  express  the  first  drawing  of  the  soul  to 
God  in  conversion,  as  the  subsequent  drawings 
of  the  Spirit  into  closer  communion  and  greater 
conformity  to  Christ. 


(     161     ) 

*  After  thee  will  we  run'  :'  These  I  suppose  to 
be  the  Avords  of  the  virgins  to  the  spouse,  inti- 
mating that,  if  she  followed  the  bridegroom,  they 
would  follow  her,  drawn  and  excited  as  well  by 
her  charms,  as  by  those  of  her  beloved  :  and  the 
expression  may  furnish  us  with  this  remark  ;  that 
there  is  a  charm  in  genuine  practical  religion,  and 
in  examples  of  piety  and  virtue,  which  wins  the 
hearts  of  all  around,  and  is  particularly  engaging 
to  young  disciples,  and  candid  enquirers  after 
divine  truth  :   '  Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men 

*  that  they,  seeing  your  good  works,  may  glorify 

*  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven.'  St.  Peter 
gives  a  particular  exhortation  to  the  fair  sex  on 
this  head ;  which,  as  it  is  scripture,  I  may  be 
permitted  to  transcribe.     '  Likewise,  ye  wives, 

*  be   in  subje6lion  to  your  own  husbands  ;  that, 

*  if  any  obey  not  the  word,  they  also  may  without 
'  the   word  be   won   by  the   conversation  of  the 

*  wives,  while  they  behold  your  chaste  conversa- 

*  tion  coupled  with  fear*.' 

The  words,  '  after  thee  will  we  run,'  certainly 
express  alacrity,  cheerfulness  and  diligence  in  the 
ways  of  God,  which  are  the  consequences  of  di- 
vine drawings,  attended  with  the  encouragement 
of  good  example,  and  pious  exhortation. 

In  the  next  line  the  spouse  declares  her  mar- 
riage.    '  The  king    hath   brought   me   into   his 

■»  The  LXX,  Vulgate,  and  Arabic,  add,  '  Because  of 
thy  good  ointments,'  which  is  only  the  repetition  of  a  pre- 
ceding line,  perhaps,  by  way  of  chicidation,  but  adds  no- 
thing to  the  meaning. 

2    1  Pet.  iii.  1,2.' 

X 


(     162     } 

>  chambers  ;'  that  is,  '  he  hath  admitted  me  to  be 

*  his  wife,'  he  hath  already  honoured  me  with  this 
dear  and  dignified  relation,  and  I  am  here  waiting 
till  he  arrives  and  favours  me  with  his  company. 
— From  this  simple  idea,  applied  spiritually',  we 
may  observe, 

1.  That  spiritual  communion  is  the  great  end 
of  our  relation  to  Jesus  Christ.  What  avail  our 
assumption  of  his  name,  and  boasting  that  we  are 
Christians,  if  we  know  nothing  of  communion 
with  the  Author  of  Christianity.  He' hath  pro- 
mised us  his  presence  whenever  we  assemble  in 
his  name  :  yea,  he  hath  said,  *  If  any  man  keep 

*  my  commandments  I  will  come  unto  him,  and 

*  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me.' 

2.  That  those  who  are  found  in  Christ's  cham- 
bers were  brought  there  by  his  grace  :  or,  in 
other  words,  those  who  are  truly  believers  in  Je- 
sus Christ — who  are  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife 
— are  made  such,  brought  into  that  relation,  and 
enjoy  those  privileges  purely  through  the  grace 
of  God. 

3.  That  the  church's  business,  in  Christ's 
chambers,  is  to  ivait  for  his  presence.  This  he 
hath  promised,  and  though  he  may  seem  to  tarry^ 

^  The  Cabbalists  have  an  observation,  that  wherever  the 
king  is  spoken  of  absolutely  in  this  song,  it  is  the  King 
Messiah  who  is  intended  ;  but  we  have  ah'eady  settled  this 
point,  that  Solomon  was  a  type  of  Christ,  and  that  he  is 
mystically  intended  throughout  the  v/hole  of  this  poem. 
They  suppose  also  the  chambers  to  allude  to  the  chambers 
of  the  temple  :  I  would  rather  say,  they  refer  to  every 
place  in  which  God  is  v.orshipped  in  spirit  and  in  truth 
through  Christ  Jesus,  -ivhether  the  temple,  the  church,  or. 
the  private  chamber. 


(     163     ) 

it  IS  oiit  duty  to  wait  for  him  :  *  For  he  hath  not 
'  said  i6  the  sttd  of  Jacob,  Seek  ye  my  face,  in 

*  vaiii.'  All  attempts  or  pretensions  to  worship, 
that  have  not  this  for  their  end  and  aim,  are  hy- 
pocritical and  unacceptable  to  God. 

In  the  next  lines  we  have,  1.  the  joy  of  thd 
virgins  in  the  happiness  of  the  spouse,  '  We  will 
'  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  thee  :' — 2.  The  manner 
in  which  they  express  their  joy,  '  We  will  cele- 

*  bratie  thy  love  more  than  wine  :' — and,  3.  the 
ground  of  this  joy  and  pleasure,  *  The  upright 
'love  thee.' 

Each  of  these  circumstances  may  furnish  a  use- 
ful remark. 

1.  From  the  joy  of  the  virgins  we  may  observe, 
that  it  is  a  happy  omen  for  us  when  we  can  re- 
joice   in   the    church's    happiness — '  They  shall 

*  prosper  that  pray  for  her.' — It  is  natural  enough, 
indeed,  to  rejoice  in  the  growth  and  prosperity  of 
our  party;  butto  rejoice  in  the  work  and  grace 
of  God  as  such,  without  a  reference  to  the  ho- 
noiirof  our  party,  or  our  own  instrumentality,  is 
a  happy  proof  that  we  love  God,  and  make  his 
interest  ours. 

2.  The  virgins  purpose  to  express  their  joy  in 
celebrating  the  spouse's  love,  or,  as  I  understand 
it  rather,  in  celebrating  their  mutual  loves,  in 
nuptial  songs  and  congratulations.  The  mutual 
loves  of  Christ  and  his  church  are  generally  the 
favourite  theme  of  young  Christians — they  are  the 
friends  of  the  bride  that  rejoice  to  hear  her  voice 
— that  rejoice  to  join  with  her  in  the  praises  of  the 


(     164,     ) 

beloved^-tliJtt  prefer  the  happiness  of  Zion  to  their 
chief  joy  ;  or,  as  the  expression  here  is,  that  ce- 
lebrate her  love  '  more  than  wine' — more  than  all 
the  conveniencies,  comforts,  and  felicities  of  hu- 
man life. 

3.  The  ground  of  all  this  is  integrity  and  up- 
rightness of  heart — '  The  upright  love  theeV* 
Man  is  a  fallen  creature,  b}'-  nature  destitute  of 
love  to  God  and  goodness  :  grace  alone  makes 
man  upright,  and  fills  the  heart  with  divine  love  : 
and  in  proportion  as  this  grace  prevails  that  love 
will  more  and  more  abound.  The  notion  of  lov-, 
ing  virtue  for  its  own  sake,  independent  of  love 
to  God,  and  irrespe6tive  of  his  love  to  us,  is  a 
fi61ion  of  infidel  philosophy. 

Ver.  5,  6, 

Spouse.  Dark  am  I,  but  comely,  ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem, 
As  the  tents  of  Kcdar,  as  the  curtains  of  Solomon. 
Gaze  not  upon  me  because  I  am  black — 
Because  the  sun  hath  beamed  on  me. 
My  mother's  sons  were  angry  with  me  ; 
They  made  me  keeper  of  the  vineyards  : 
Mine  own  vineyard  have  I  not  kept. 

These  verses  contain  an  apology  for  the  spouse's 
complexion,  which  it  has  been  found  difficult  to 
explain  literally,  and  no  less  so  to  apply  figura- 
tively. Let  us  examine  it.  Her  complexion  was 
dark^ ;  not  naturally,  but  accidentally;  and  yet 


1  Aben  E%ra  takes  Cs^liyjo  for  the  adje6live  to  wine-— 
'  wine  that  £!;oes  down  smoothly  ;'  but  I  conceive  the  com- 
mon rendering  to  be  more  just  and  better  sense. 

2  '  Dark  am  I  but  comely.' — The  original  word  ("inu;), 
which  I  have  rendered  dark.,  properly  intends  the  dusk  or 
early  dawn. — Bp.  Patrick. 

'  Gaze  not.' — The  common  rendering  '  look  not,'  is  to« 


(l   165     ) 

her  person  was  beautiful.  She  was  *  dark  as  thd 
*  tents  of  Kedar,'  or  of  the  Arabians,  which,  ac- 
cording to  some  writers,  were  made  of  black 
goat's  hair,  or,  according  to  others,  died  black. 
The  comparing  her  complexion  to  these  tents  may 
be  a  poetical  exaggeration,  to  heighten  the  beau- 
ty of  the  contrast  with  the  curtains  of  Solomon, 
probably  those  of  his  pavilion  or  state  tent,  which 
were  doubtless  very  superb  and  beautiful ;  for  the 
easterns  spare  no  expence  in  these  cases'.  Of 
this  Mr.  Harmer^  gives  some  remarkable  in- 
stances from  the  travels  of  Egmont  and  Hay  man. 
The  tent  of  the  grand  signior  was  covered  and 
lined  with  silk.  More  recently,  Nadir  Shaw  had 
a  very  superb  one  covered  on  the  outside  with 
scarlet  broad  cloth,  and  lined  within  with  violet- 
coloured  satin,  ornamented  with  a  great  variety 
of  animals,  flowers,  &.c.  formed  entirely  of  pearls 
and  precious  stones  ^ . 

To  account  for  her  dark  complexion,  she  men- 
tions her  exposure  to  the  '  scorching  sun,'  which 


■weak  ;  the  word  evidently  means  to  look  stedfa»tly,  with  at- 
tention and  admiration.  See'Gcn.  vi.  12.  Prov.  xxiii.  31. 
Six  MSS.  read  (and  two  more  did  read)  "i3lN"i^n  '■fear  not,' 
which  reading  is  preferred  by  Dodsrlein^  but  I  conceive, 
without  sufficient  reason. 

^  The  LXX  read  Sj^fs/s",  the  skins  of  Solomon,  supposing 
his  curtains  to  be  made  of  skins,  which  is  possible  enough  : 
but  one  would  have  hardly  thought  it  possible  that  a  com- 
raentator  and  a  bishop  could  have  been  weak  enough  to 
apply  it  to  the  sleekness  of  Solomon's  oivn  skin!  as  Bp. 
FoLiOT  did  in  the  twelfth  century. 

'  Memoirs  of  Khojah  Abdulkurreem,  p.  31. 

3  On  Sol.  Son^,  p.  186. 


(     166     ) 

had  *^  darted  his  full  beams'  upon  her'.  Fot* 
though  the  narives  of  Egypt  are  generally  dark, 
and  far  southward  toward  Ethiopia,  almost  black* ; 
yet  those  of  high  rank  being  prote6led  from  the 
sun  are  pretty  fair,  and  would  be  reckoned  such 
even  in  Britain.  Mr.  Harmer  conceives  the 
com.plexion  of  this  princess  might  have  been 
spoiled  by  her  journey  to  Judea  ;  but  this  appears 
to  me  very  improbable.  The  sacred ^oet  clearly 
attributes  it  to  the  anger  of  her  brothers,  who, 
perhaps  piqued  at  her  superior  talents,  or  offended 


1  '  The  sun  hath  beamed  on  me.' — This  word  (p|W)t 
which  is  evidently  poetic,  is  used  only  in  two  other  passa- 
ges, both  in  Job,  where  I  think  it  wiir  scarcely  bear  any 
other  rendering  than  I  have  given  it.  Chap.  xx.  9.  '  The 
'  eye  which  beamed  on  him  shall  not  add'  [to  beam  on  him  :] 
i.  e.  shall  beam  on  him  no  more.  Chap,  xxviii.  7.  '  The 
'  vulture's  eye  hath  not'  beanfied  on  it.' — Mr.  Pakkhurst 
says  '  glanced  ;'  but  that  term  is  too  Aveak  to  express  such 
an  aClion  oi'  the  sun  as  materially  tans  the  complexion. 

2  '  Because  I  am  black.' — Some  critics  have  suggested 
that  the  spouse  was  literally  a  black,  the  daughter  of  an 
Ethiopian  woman:  but  1.  'I'his  agrees  not  with  her  own 
account,  that  her  complexion  was  occasioned  by  exposure  to 
the  sun.  2.  It  agrees  not  with  the  subsequent  description 
that  her  cheeks  were  like  the  pomegranate,  &c.  3.  There 
is  no  ground  for  it  in  the  text ;  the  term  black,  applied  to 
the  countenance,  in  other  texts  not  intending  absolute  but 
comparative  and  adventitious  blackness — the  effecl  of 
grief,  famine,  he 

The  original  word  here  is  the  same  as  in  the  preceding 
verses,  only  rendered  more  emphatical  by  the  reduplica- 
tion of  the  two  last  radicals  (mnTmy)  '  valde  fusca,'  Bo- 
chart.  '  Propsus,  vel  valde.,  et  tota  nigra,'  Ilarkiiis,  Mi- 
chael!';. So  Gill — «  very  black.'  See.  (in  Heb.)  Ps^  xlv.  5. 
Prov.  viii.  31. 


(     167     ) 

with  her  religion' ,  had  occasioned  her  being  sent 
to  a  more  southerly  part  of  the  country,  where 
she  had  neglected  her  personal  charms,  and,  by 
exposure  to  the  sun,  become  very  swarthy.  One 
of  those  revolutions  common  in  eastern  courts, 
where  every  thing  usually  depends  on  the  caprice 
of  the  prince,  or  of  his  favourite,  might  occasion 
her  recal ;  the  beauty  of  her  features  might  on  this 
occasion  be  the  more  remarked  ;  and  reaching  the 
ears  of  the  king  of  Israel,  together  with  her  con- 
version, might  lay  the  foundation  of  her  future 
fortune. 

That  she  was  sent  to  keep  vineyards  need  not 
be  literally  taken.  Her  meaning  may  be,  that  she 
was  sent  to  reside  among  them,  as  if  she  had  been 
employed  in  a  menial  capacity — as  a  keeper  of  the 
vineyards ;  or,  it  is  probable  she  might  have  the 
care  and  management  of  some  infant  sisters,  and 
thus  have  been  the  guardian  of  their  beauty,  while 
she  negledled  her  own.  And  this  may  be  intend- 
ed by  her  vineyard^  as  being  the  natural  obje6l  of 
a  virgin's  care  ;  since  the  Jews  by  this  term  usu- 
ally intend  whatever  is  a  person's  proper  duty  or 
employment*.  It  is  possible,  however,  the 
words  may  admit  a  literal  interpretation,  for  she 


^  In  the  preliminary  essays  (page  67)  I  have  hinted  the 
probability  that  this  lady  was  a  proselyte  to  the  Jewish  re- 
ligion ;  and  if  we  allow  ourselves  to  suppose  her  conversion 
to  have  taken  place  early  in  life,  it  will  very  sufficiently  ac- 
count for  the  anger  and  resentment  of  her  brothers  ;  and 
the  report  of  this  circumstance  afterward  would  be  a  pow- 
erful recommendation  to  the  court  of  Solomon. 

^  See  Bp.  Patrick'^  Paraphrase,  and  Mr.  Binnel  in  Bp. 
Percy.  So  Dr,  Gill  remarks,  Horace  calls  his  own  works, 
,'  Vineta.' — Epist.  1.  lib.  ii. 


(      168     ) 

had  a  vineyard  of  her  own,  and  might  have  siipcr- 
inteixled  it  herself,  before  she  let  it  out  to  keep- 
ers'. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  allegorical  application 
of  the  passage.  Most  commentators  have  referred 
this  to  moral  defilement.  The  Tar  gum  applies 
it  to  the  idolatry  of  the  golden  calf  by  the  Israel- 
ites, that  then  '  their  faces  became  as  black^  as 
'  the  Ethiopians  who  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Kedar;"* 
but  afterwards,  on  repentance  and  forghencss, 
>  beautiful  and  bright  as  those  of  angels.'  And 
St.  Augustine  says,  the  church  is  '  black  by 
'  nature,  and  beautiful  by  grace.'  But  these  ap- 
plications are  evidently  contrary  to  the  text,  which 
jiupposes  the  blackness  here  spoken  of  to  be,  not 
natural,  but  acquired  and  adventitious  ;  and  at 
the  same  time  consistent  with  her  beauty — '  black 
^  but  comely.' 

The  ancient  book  of  Zohar  explains  this 
])lackness  much  better  of  a  state  of  captivity  or 
slavery  :  black  with  grief,  mourning  and  astonish- 
ment. So  David  in  his  mourning  was  '  black  all 
•■  the  day  long  :  and  Jeremiah  was  black  with  grief 
und  sorrow  \  There  is  perhaps  in  this  expres- 
sion a  distant  allusion  to  the  state  of  Israel  in 
Eg, pt  (a  circumstance  not  unlikely  to  be  known 
to  Pharaoh's  daughter)  when  they  were  reduced 
to  the  ^ilest  servitude,  exposed  to  the  fiercest 
??un-bcams,  and  at  the  same  time,  mourning  un- 

1   Chap.  viii.  J 2. 

In  all  Ianp;uat^'es  black  signifies  any  thing;  that  is  '  sad, 
«  clisn>a],  cruel  or  unfortunate.'     Daubuz  in  Rev.  vi.  5. 

3  Psal.   xxxviii.  6.    in  Heb.     Jer.    viii.   21.  xiv.  %,     See 
also  Job  XXX..  33.  Joel  ii.  6.  Nah.  ii.  10. 


(     16^     ) 

Kicr  their  affli6lion.  So  in  Psalm  Ixviil',  Mr, 
Harmer^  thinks  there  is  a  comparison  between 
Israel  and  those  doves,  which,  resorting  to  the 
caves  where  the  shepherds  make  their  fires,  are 
blackened  with  the  smoke  ;  where  there  is  an  op- 
position somewhat  similar  in  the  terms — '  though 

*  ye  are  black  with  having  lain  among  the  pots, 

*  yet  shall  ye  be  beautiful  as  the  sacred  doves  of 

*  Syria,  covered  with  silver  and  with  gold.' — • 
The  blackness  in  this  case,  it  may  be  observed, 
was  occasioned  by  the  heat  of  fire,  as  in  the  other 
by  the  sun-beams. 

This  blackness  being  attributed  to  the  force  of 
the  sun-beams,  reminds  us  of  our  Lord's  parable 
of  the  sower',  in  which  he  compares  the  heat  of 
persecution  to  that  of  the  sun.  And  these  cir- 
cumstances laid  together,  I  think,  lead  us  to  ex- 
plain the  blackness  of  the  church,  of  her  suiFer- 
ings  by  *  tribulation  and  persecution,'  which  may 
very  properly  be  attributed  to  the  envy  and  anger 
of  her  elder  brethren  of  the  world "^  ;  for  as  Cain 
to  Abel,  so  is  the  world  the  elder  brother  of  the 
church. 

This  complexion  is  also  perfetVly  consistent 
with  her  beauty  ;  for,  though  despicable  in  the 
eyes  of  the  world,  the  church  never  suffered  any 
thing  in  her  real  excellency,  and  acceptableness  in 
the  sight  of  God,  by  persecution  or  afiiidlion. 
Indeed,  when  most  black  in  this  respect,  she  has 

^   Ver  13. 

"^  Observations  on  Passages  of  Scripture,  vol.  III.  No.  17. 

2  Matt.  xiii.  5,  21.  See  Luke  xv.  25. 


(    no   ) 

generally  been  most  amiable  in  herself,  and  in  the 
esteem  of  her  heavenly  bridegroom. 

The  manner  in  which  the  bride  accounts  for  her 
complexion,  and  .apologises  to  the  daughters  of 
Jerusalem,  merits  «i  remark.  She  concedes  wil- 
lingly, that  she  was  dark^  and  was  apprehensive 
that  to  others  she  might  appear  even  'uery  black; 
but  she  justifies  herself  as  innocent  of  the  cause — 
it  was  the  fault  of  her  enemies,  not  her  own.  If 
this  were  applied  to  moral  defilement  it  Avere  un- 
accountable ;  God  forbid  we  sliould  make  apolo- 
gies for  sin  !  But  applied  to  tribulation  and  perse- 
cution it  is  easy,  natural  and  just.  Hov^-ever  the 
state  of  the  church,  and  of  believers,  may  render 
tribulation  or  persecution  necessary,  it  is  not  for 
evil-doing,  but  for  well-doing,  that  they  are  called 
to  suffer  from  the  world  ;  and  they  may  with  a 
good  conscience  justify  themselves  in  this  re- 
spe£l ;  of  v/hich  we  have  many  instances  in  the 
Scriptures. 

As  the  beauty  of  the  church  is  so  fully  consi- 
dered in  the  sequel,  there  seems  no  necessity  for 
enlarging  here.  The  phrase,  '  mine  own  vine- 
'  yard  have  I  not  kept,'  is  a  concession,  in  what- 
ever way  it  may  be  taken,  that  she  had  been  guilty 
of  negligence  :  a  concession  ahvays  seasonable 
and  in  characler  :  for  though  the  church  is  perse- 
cuted for  her  virtues,  and  not  her  crimes ;  yet 
as  we  said,  it  is  the  negligence  and  languor  of 
the  church,  which  is  the  occasion  of  her  being 
brought  into  such  circumstances,  to  refine  and 
purify  her. 


(     171     ) 

'  They  made  me  keeper  of  the  vineyard,'  they 
put  me  to  base  and  laborious  servitude.  This 
ihas  been  often  literally  true  in  times  of  persecu- 
tion. Israel,  in  Egypt,  were  enjoined  to  maize 
bricks  even  without  straw  ;  and  allowed  no  time 
for  their  own  rest,  or  the  service  of  their  God. 
And  in  the  Christian  church  many  confessors 
and  martyrs  have  been  put  to  labour  in  the  mines, 
or  at  the  gallies,  without  the  least  mercy  or  in- 
dulgence ;  and  innumerable  others  forbidden  the 
worship  of  their  God.  They  have  kept  the  vine- 
yard of  others,  but  have  not  been  sufiered  to  at- 
tend their  own. 

The  words  admit  a  farther  practical  application. 
It  too  often  happens,  that  persons  in  public  cha- 
radlers,  either  magistrates  or  teachers,  who  are 
faithful  and  a6\ive  in  their  charge,  negleft  their 
own  personal  interest — I  mean  in  a  moral  and  re- 
ligious view.  They  keep  the  vineyards  of  others 
—  they  guard  their  morals  and  dire6l  their  piety — 
but  they  deprive  themselves  of  their  seasons  of 
retirement — they  neglect  their  personal  devotions 
— and  thus,  while  they  are  in  the  constant  ha:  ^ its 
of  doing  good  to  others,  they  negle6l  themselves 
—they  keep  the  vineyard  of  others  and  neglect 
their  own.  This  is  a  proper  subject  for  confes- 
sion and  regret. 

This  se6lion  concludes  v/ith  an  apostrophe  to 
the  beloved,  and  the  reply  of  the  virgins  ;  both  in 
the  language  of  pastoral  poetry. 


(     172     ) 

Vcr.  r,  8. 

Spouse.    Tell  me,  O    thou   Avhom  my    sovil   loveth,  where 
thou  feedest  ? 
Where  thou  causest  [thy  flock]  to  rest  at  noon  ? 
For  -why  should  1  be  as  a  stranger 
Among  the  flocks  of  thy  companions  ? 
Virgins.  If  thou  thyself  knowest   not,  O  most   beautiful  of 
women, 
Go  thy  way  forth  by  the  footsteps  of  this  flock, 
And  feed    thy   kids  among  the  tents  of  these  shep- 
herds. 

On  these  verses,  in   a   literal   sense,  we  may 
remark. 

1.  The  pastoral  images  employed.  I  have  al- 
ready observed  the  analogy  between  the  regal  and 
pastoral  offices,  and  have  supposed  that  the  allu- 
sions made  to  the  latter  refer  literally  to  the  ex- 
ercise of  government,  and  administration  of  jus- 
tice" ;  if  so  the  resting  at  noon  Avill  signify  the 
relaxation  of  public  business,  and  the  luxury  (for 
such  it  must  be  to  wise  and  good  princes)  of  re- 
tirement and  privacy.  The  language  of  the  bride 
then  is  an  enquiry,  in  the  passionate  manner  of 
apostrophe,  where  the  king  was,  and  whether 
employed  in  public  or  in  private.     '  If  he  be,  like 

*  a  good  shepherd  feeding  his  flock,  administering 

*  public  benefits,  and  dispensing  judgment,  why 

*  should  not  I  enjoy  the  common  benefit?  If  he 

*  be  indulging  in  retirement,  why  may  not  I,  who 

*  am  admitted  as  his  wife,  enjoy  his  company  and 
'  conversation  ?' 

The  translation  of  this  verse  is  so  diflicult,  that 
I  feel  myself  difiident  and  undecided  ;  and  shall 
therefore  include  both  the  renderings  in  the  mar- 

Intvoduclory  Essays,  p.  61. 


(     1T3     ) 

gin,  as  consistent  in  the  general  idea,  though  I 
have  preferred  in  the  version,  that  which  appear- 
ed to  me  the  most  natural  and  easy  * . 

It  should  seem  necessary,  however,  in  the  first 
place,  to  settle  the  meaning  of  the  expression, 
'  By  the  flocks  of  thy  companions.'  It  appears 
that  eastern  marriages  were  frequentl}^  celebrated 
in  tents,  which  on  grand  occasions  were  doubt- 
less superb  and  numerous^:  pastoral  language 
converts  these  into  the  tents  of  shepherds,  and 
the  attendants  into  sheep.     In  this  view  the  words 


^  If  the  original  word  [n^BI?]  be  derived  from  the  root 
[tay]  ,  to  hurry  or  drive  away  [as  I  consider  the  roots  of 
three  radicals  with  final  He  originally  the' same  with  those 
of  two  radicals  without  i/f],  the  sense  will  be  nearly  that 
of  our  translators — '  one  that  turneth  aside,'  wandereth, 
or  is  driven  away  [by]  to.,  beyond  or  among  the  flocks  of  thy 
companions.     So  the  Targiir.i^  Kimchi,   Dathe,  Sec. 

But  Michaelis,  Piscalor,  Cdccius,  I'lartinus,  8cc.  chuse  to 
follow  the  Septuagint,  who  have  rendered  it  {TJi^iSac^^ofjunvn) 
veiled,  [deriving  it  regularly  from  [ntay]  to  cover,  veil, 
j.  e.  cast  something  hastily  and  loosely  over  a  person  ;]  the 
meaning  will  then  be,  '  Why  should  1  be  overlooked,  nc- 
'  gle6led,  as  if  I  v/as  not  one  of  the  flock  of  thy  companions, 
'  that  is,  one  of  thy  Avives  ?'  The  veil  was  also  in  one  case 
a  mark  of  widowhood,  and  in  another  of  harlotry  ;  it  may 
therefore  be  explained,  ♦  Why  should  I  appear  as  a  widow, 
*  or  an  haiiot,  rather  than  be  treated  as  a  lav/ful  wife  ?' 

A  learned  friend  suspecls  that  the  compound  particle 
(TToh)]^)  for  •-ci'hj,  should  be  taken  as  the  proper  name  '  So- 
'  lomon,'  the  letters  being  the  same  (and  De  Rossi  suspetSls 
the  pointing  to  be  v/rong) — in  which  case  the  verse  would 
I'ead  thus  : 

<  O  Solomon,  shall  I  be  as  a  stranger?'  Sec.  but  as  this 
wants  authority,  though  I  admire  the  sT-lrit  of  this  version, 
I  have  not  ventured  to  adopt  it- 

*  Harmeron  Sol.  Song,  p.  201, 


(     1T4     ) 

import,    '  Why    should   I   be    forsaken    and    ne- 

*  gletled  by  him,  as  if  I  had  belonged  to  another 

*  shepherd,  that  is,  to  some  of  the  princes  or  no- 
*■  bles  encamped  around  ?' 

If  vve  prefer  the  other  rendering,  '  Why  should 
'  I  appear  as  one  veiled^ — considering  the  veil  as 
a  token  of  widowhood',  or  harlotry*  ;  then  the 
expression  means,  '  Why   should  I  appear  as  a 

*  widow,  or  be  treated  as  an  harlot,  when  I  am 
'  the  bride  of  Solomon.' 

The  mention  of  '  the  shepherds  tents,'  in  the 
following  verse,  shews  that  shepherds  when  they 
met  with  good  pasturage,  used  to  pitch  their 
tents  ;  and  there  they  generally  continued  till  the 
want  of  fresh  pasturage  led  them  farther  :  and  the 
supposition  of  the  shepherd  retiring  with  his  flock 
to  rest  at  noon,  is  pcrfeclly  agreeable  to  the  east- 
ern manners.  Plato ^  speaks  of  sheep  7ioo?ii?ig 
themselves,  and  Virgil'*  informs  us  that  the 
shepherds  usually  retired  with  their  flocks  to  some 
shady  retreat  at  the  fourth  hour,  or  two  hours  be- 
fore noon. 

2.  The  reply  of  the  virgins  demands  our  next 
attention,  it  comprizes  these  directions — seek 
him  in  the  way  himself  hath  marked  out — follow 
him  in  the  traces  of  his  flock — wait  for  him  among 
the  tents  of  his  shepherds. 

This  idea  strikes  out  an  easy  and  simple  me. 


^   Ezck.  xxiv.  17,  22.  2  Gen.  xxxviii.  14. 

»   Fl:xdrus.  *  Gcorcr.  lib.  iii. 


(     175     ) 

tliod  of  allegorizing  this  se6lion,  which  may  sug- 
gest several  natural  and  useful  remarks,  without 
the  danger  of  losing  ourselves  in  wanton  or  un- 
intelligible fancies. 

1.  We  remark  the  office  of  Christ  as  a  shep- 
herd. So  under  the  Old  Testament,  Messiah 
was  designated  by  this  chara6ler  :  '  Awake,  O 
'  sword,  against  my  Shepherd,  against  the  man, 

*  that  is  my  fellow  (or  companion)  saith  the  Lord 

*  of  Hosts'.'  He  claims  himself  the  character  of 
'  the  good  shepherd^,'  and  he  is  styled,  by  the 
different  writers  of  the  New  Testament,  the  great 
shepherd,  the  chief  shepherd,  the  shepherd  and 
bishop  of  our  souls  ;  and  he  well  ansv/ers  to  every 
part  of  the  shepherd's  characler.  Does  it  require 
knowledge,  care,  attention  ?  He  says,  '  I  know 
'  my  sheep,  I  call  them  by  their  names,  they  hear 

*  my  voice  and  follow  me.' — Does  it  imply  de- 
fence,  support,   protedtion  ?   '  The  Lord   is  my 

*  shepherd,  I  shall  not  want.  He  leadeth  me 
'  hito  green  pastures,    beside    the  still  waters.' 

*  He  restoreth  my  soul:  yea  though  I  walk  through 

*  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear 

*  no  evil,  for  thou  art  with  me  ;  thy  rod  and  thy 
'  staff,  they  shall  comfort  me.' — Does  this  office 
require  tenderness  and  affeclion  ?  '  He  shall  feed 
'  his  flock  like  a  shepherd,  he  shall  gather  the 
'■  lambs  in  his  bosom,  and  carry  them  in  his  arms, 

*  and  gently  lead  those  that  are  with  young.' — 

^  Zcch.  xiii.  7.  *  John  x.  11, 


(     176     ) 

*  1  am  (saith  he)  the   good  shepherd  :  the  good 

*  shepherd  layeth  down  his  life  for  the  sheep.' 

2.  We  might  run  a  like  parallel  between  the 
charatler  of  shecp^  and  that  of  believers.  Sheep 
are  remaiked  as  harmless,  clean,  simple,  useful 
creatures  :  sociable,  but  too  apt  to  wander ;  de- 
fenceless, and  therefore  often  injured.  All  these 
particulars  apply  beautifully  to  the  fiock  of  Christ, 
whether  under  the  Old  Testament  or  the  New. 
They  are,  in  their  degree,  '  holy,  harmless  and 

*  undefiled.'  They  naturally  associate  together, 
yet  are  too  apt  to  '  wander  from  the  fold  of  God;' 
they  are  the  most  useful  members  of  society,  yet 
often  abused  and  persecuted  ;  as  it  is  written, 
*■  For  thy  sake  are  we  killed  all  the  day  long  :  wc 
'  arc  accounted  as  sheep  for  the  slaughter.' 

3.  We  observe  more  particularly  the  manner 
in  Vv'hich  Christ  executes  his  pastoral  office  :  he 
feeds  them,  and  causes  them  to  rest  at  noon. — 
^^  feeds  them  :  this  seems  to  include  or  to  imply 
all  the  various  offices  which  Christ  executes  as 
our  Redeemer.  He  is  a  king^  and  feeding  implies 
(as  already  noted)  the  exercise  of  his  regal  go- 
vernment.— He    is    a    prophet,    and   feeds    them 

*  with  knowledge  and  understanding.' — He  is  a 
priest,  and  strange  and  incongruous  as  it  may 
seem,  he  feeds  them  with  his  own  '  flesh  and 
'-  blood,'  which  he  hath  given  for  their  redemp- 
tion— for  this  good  shepherd  hath  laid  down  his 
life  for  his  sheep. 

He  '  causes  them  to  rest  at  noon;'  that  is, 
in   the   hottest   seasons   of   persecution,    in   the 


{     177     ) 

severest  times  of  tribulation,  the  Lord  Jesus  hath 
a  retreat  for  his  people.     '  Come  my  people  (saith 

*  he)  enter  into  the  chambers,  and  hide  yourselves 

*  for  a  little   moment^    until  the    indignation  be 

*  overpast'.'  When  the  church  is  persecuted  in 
the  book  of  Revelation,  a  retreat  is  pi"tpared  for 
her  in  the  '  wilderness,'  andsothe  Lord  preserves 
a  seed  to  serve  him  in  despite  of  the  rage  of  all  his 
enemies.  But  when  it  is  necessary  for  the  hon-oui* 
of  his  cause,  that  they  should  come  forward  and 
boldly  witness  for  his  name,  even  to  the  death, 
then  his  chariots  of  celestial  fire  await  to  bear  them 
to  glory  and  an  immortal  crown. 

4.  We  may  observe  the  language  and  argument 
of  the  spouse — '  0  thou  iDhom   my  soul  lo'ueth^ 

*  why  dost  thou  withhold  thy  presence,  and  treat 

*  me  as  a  stranger,  unknown  and  unbeloved  by 

*  thee  ? — As  a  harlot,  apostate  from  thy  love  ?  or 

*  as  a  widow,  deserted  and  forsaken?'  Note,  (1.) 
The  Lord's  own  people  are  subje6l  to  the  with- 
drawments  of  his  presence,  and  to  mental  distress, 
not  only  the  same  as  others,  but  peculiar  to  them- 
selves. (2.)  That  our  love  to  Christ,  as  it  is  a 
principle  implanted  by  his  grace,  may  be  pleaded 
as  an  argument  for  farther   mercies  :   '  Forsake 

*  not  thou  the  work  of  thine  own  hands.'  (3.) 
True  believers  are  subje^Sl  to  be  mistaken  for 
hypocrites  and  mere  professors*     They  may  ap* 

^  Isa.  xxvi.  20. 


(     178     ) 

pear  so  much  alike,  either  by  the  declension  of 
the  one,  or  the  imitation  of  the  other,  that  no 
eye  but  that  which  searches  hearts  may  be  able 
certainly  to  distinguish  them. 

5.  In  the  answer  returned  by  the  virgins,  vye 
may  learn  how  vvc  are  to  discover  the  pastures  of 
the  good  shepherd  :  or  in  other  words,  the  paths 
of  truth  and  holiness ;  for  to  both  these  may 
the  direction  be  applied :   '  Go  forth  by  the  foot- 

*  steps  of  the  flock.' 

(1.)  This  method  is  recommended  in  our  en- 
quiries   after  truth ;  '  Stand  ye   in  the  way,  and 

*  ask  for  the  old  paths,  that  ye  may  walk  therein.' 
The  misfortune  has  been,  that,  in  this  case,  ma- 
ny have  begun  their  researches  at  too  late  a  pe- 
riod. Instead  of  enquiring  the  sentiments  of 
those  venerable  men,  the  prophets  and  apostles, 
they  have  contented  themselves  w  ith  the  opinions 
of  the  do6lors  of  the  second  and  third  century,  or 
later,  when  the  church  was  already  corrupted 
with  error  and  with  heresy  ;  and  when  the  writers 
often  became  so  heated  and  perplexed  with  con- 
troversy, that  they  not  only  contraditled  one 
another,  but  themselves  ;  and  it  is  in  many  cases 
impossibk  to  get  a  clear  and  determinate  opinion 
from  them. 

(2.)  In  s'eeking  for  examples  to  regulate  our 
condua  we  should  apply  to  the  same  authorities. 
Christ  himself  is  the  first  and  best  example  in  all 
cases,  where  his  example  will  apply  :  and  after 
him  his  apostles  and  first  ministers,  the  Christian- 


(     179     ) 

fathers,  the  ilkistrious  martyrs  and  reformers ; 
still  keeping  before  us  that  apostolic  maxim — to 
follow  them  only  so  far  as  they  follow  Christ.' 

(3.)  As  we  arc   to  follow  good  examples,  .so 
should  we  be  careful  to  keep  good  company. 

'  Feed  thy  kids  among  the  tents  of  these  shepherds.' 

The  spouse  is  here  considered  as  a  shepherdess, 
and  directed,  in  the  absence  of  the   *  chief  shep- 

*  herd,'  to  associate  with  his  companions  ;  that 
is,  in  the  spiritual  sense,  to  attend  and  accom- 
pany w^ith  those  faithful  ministers,  who,  as  under 
shepherds  of  our  Lord,  teach  the  same  truths, 
and  walk  in  the  same  precepts.  Nothing  is  more 
important  either  to  our  character  or  morals  than 
keeping  with  wise  and  good  company  ;  for  '  he 

*  that  walketh  with  wise  men  shall  be  wise  ;  but  a 

*  coTppanion  of  fools  shall  be  destroyed.'  In  mo- 
rals this  is  universally  admitted,  for  we  have 
adopted  the  scripture  proverb  as  our  own,  that 
*■  evil  communications  corrupt  good  manners  :* 
and  no  less  true  is  it,  that  to  associate  with  men 
of  loose  and  sceptical  principles  is  the  way  to  grow 
first  indifferent,  and  then  adverse  to  the  truth. 

But  the  subje£l  leads  us  naturally  to  add  a  re- 
mark on  the  importance  of  attending  a  gospel  mi- 
nistry, Vvhere  we  possibly  can,  in  preference  to 
erroneous,  or  merely  moral  teachers.  It  is  very 
true  that  morality  is  inseparable  from  the  gospel, 
but  it  is  equally  true  that  it  is  not  the  gospel  it- 
self. They  should  be  distinguished,  though  not 
divided.  We  have  no  reason  to  expe6l  Christ's 
presence,  but  where  his  gospel  is» 


(     180     ) 
SECTION  IL 

Chap.  I.  Ver.  9—11. 

bridegroom.  To  the  horse  in  Pharaoh's  chariots 
Have  I  compared  thee,  my  consort : 
Thy  cheeks  are  comely  with  rows, 
Thy  neck  Avith  [ornamental]  chains. 

Virgins.         Rows  of  gold  will  we  maJie  for  thee, 
With  studs  of  silver.    ' 

HERE  I  think  the  spouse,  attended  by  the 
virgins,  goes  into  the  garden  of  the  palace,  and 
there  meets  with  her  beloved,  who  compares  her 
to  the  horses,  or  perhaps  some  favourite  mare,  ia 
her  father's  chariot.  This  appears  a  very  coarse 
compliment  to  a  mere  English  reader,  a;*ising 
from  the  difference  of  our  manners  :  but  the  horse 
is  an  animal  of  very  high  estimation  in  the  east. 
The  x\rabians  are  extravagantly  fond  of  their 
horses',  and  caress  them  as  if  they  were  their 
children,  of  which  Mr.  Harmer  gives  an  extra- 
ordinary instance''.  The  horses  of  Egypt  are  so 
remarkable  for  statelirvess  and  beauty  as  to  be  sent 
as  presents  of  great  value  to  the  Sublime  Porte  % 
and  it  appears  from  sacred  history,  that  they  Avere 
in  no  less  esteem  formerly  among  the  kings  of 


1  This  folly  is  not  peculiar  to  the  east.  Julias  Cxsar 
placed  a  iTiarble  effigy  of  his  horse  in  the  temple.  Nero 
dressed  his  horse  as  a  senator.  Caligula  would  have  made 
his  horse  consul ;  he  invited  his  horse  to  supper,  and 
himself  waited  on  him. 

3   On  Sol.  Song,  p.  174. 

3  Maillet  in  ib. 


i 


(      181     ) 

Syria,  and  of  the  Hittites,  as  well  as  Solomon 
himself,  who  bought  his  horses  at  150  shekels 
which  (at  Dean  Prideaux's  calculation  of  3^.  the 
shekel)  is  22/.  lO^-.  each,  a  very  considerable 
price  at  which  to  purchase  12,000  horses  toge- 
ther* !  The  qualities  which  form  the  beauty  of 
these  horses,  are  tallness,  proportionable  corpu- 
lency, and  statelincss  of  manner  ;  the  same  qua- 
lities which  they  admire  in  their  Momen  ;  parti- 
cularly corpulency^  which  is  known  to  be  one  of 
the  most  esteemed  chara6lers  of  beauty  in  the 
east^.  Upon  this  principle  is  founded  the  com- 
pliment of  Solomon ;  and  it  is  remarkable  that 
the  elegant  Theocritus,  in  his  epithalamium  for 
the  celebrated  Queen  Helen^  whom  he  describes 
as  '  plump  and  large  %'  uses  exailly  the  same 
image,  comparing  her  to  '  the  horse  in  the  chariots 
*  of  Thessaly^.'     And  the  similarity  of  the  com- 


*  The  fame  of  Solomon's  horses  is  still  preserved  ia 
Arabia,  and  the  horses  called  Kochlani^  whose  pedigree  is 
as  carefully  preserved  as  that  of  the  first  nobility,  are  said 
to  be  derived  from  Solomon's  studs.  The  chief  excellence 
of  these  horses  is  their  strength,  cTmrage  and  swiftness. 
Niebuhr's  Travels,  vol.  II.  p.  301. 

*  We  find  in  the  Travels  o^  Egvwnt  and  Hejman,  (vol.  I. 
p.  93.)  that  corpulency  is  in  high  esteem,  especially  among 
the  Turks,  and  that  the  supreme  beauty  in  all  these  parts 
is  a  large  fat  body,  andprominent  breasts. — Niebuhr  says, 
'  As  plumpness  is  thought  a  beauty  in  the  east,  the  women, 
'  in  order  to  obtain  this  beauty,  sw^allow,  every  morning 
'  and  every  evening,  three  of  these  insecls  (a  species  of 
'  Tencbriones)  fried  in  butter.'  Travels,  vol.  II.  p.  339. 
Edinb.  edition,    1792. 

■*  'Hx^iaxti  QicraxXos  iTTTroy.  Idyl,  xviii.  ver.  29.  The  in- 
{^,'enious  editor  of  the  new  edition  oi  Cahnet's  Ditlioaary  ij 


(     182     ) 

plimont  is  so  striking,  as  to  persuade  many  of 
the  learned  that  the  Greek  poet  must  have  seen 
the  Septuagint  version  of  this  book.  Plato, 
however,  and  Horace,  have  both  employed  the 
same  image,  and  it  is  observable  that  the  Greek 
name  for  a  horse  is  admitted  into  the  composition 
of  a  great  number  of  Greek  names  of  women, 
as  Kippc,  Hippodamia,  Mercippc,  Alcippe,  and 
many  others. 

The  easterns,  so  highly  valuing  their  horses, 
spare  no  expence  to  ornament  them  with  the  most 
costly  trappings  of  gold,  enriched  with  pearls  and 
precious  stones  :  and  it  is  very  observable  that 
the  Arabian  and  Turkish  ladies  decorate  them- 
selves  in  a  very  similar  manner,  wearing  rows  of 
pearls  or  precious  stones  round  the  head-dress 
and  descending  over  their  cheeks  :  gold  chains 
also  upon  their  necks  and  bosoms.  This  agrees 
very  cxa6lly  to  the   ornaments  here  mentioned, 


tilssatisfied  -with  this  comparison,  because,  though  it  might 
be  adopted  by  '  Theocritus,  as  a  writer  of  rustic  poetry,' 
yet  he  conceives  it^oo  inelegant  for  a  '  royal  Jewish  bride- 
'  groom  :' — he  proposes  theiefore  to  render  the  text,  '  To 
'  a  company  of  horses  among  the  riders  of  Pharaoh;'  but 
then,  by  an  unwarrantable  figure,  he  converts  these  horses 
into  men,  and  rcadii,  '  to  an  oflicer  comnumding  a  com- 
'  pany  of  Pharaoh's  cavalry  :'  i.  c.  to  an  oSicer  of  dragoons 
on  horseback : — .'■  uoble  as  his  horses,  and  graceful  as  his 
'  riders.'  This,  beside  appearing  to  me  extremely  forced 
and  laboiired,  only  changes  the  chariot-horse  of  Pharaoh 
into  the  war-horse  of  a  dragoon,  which  I  should  hardly 
suppose  more  delicate  ;  while  the  addition  of  the  rider  to 
his  horse  confuses  and  degrades  the  imagery.  Besides, 
the  Hebrews  distinguished  betv.een  Pharaoh's  horses,  cha- 
jiots,  and  horsemen.  ExocK  xiv.  23.— See  Calmet,  Frag* 
vNo,  CLVII.  p.  14r. 


(     183     ) 

and  which  have  a  double  reference  to  the  dress  of 
the  ladies  and  of  horses. 

When  the  virgins  promise  to  make  new  orna- 
ments for  the  spouse,  it  is  commonly  understood 
as  the  promise  of  a  new  dress  ;  but  I  suspecl  they 
have  a  farther  meaning, — namely,  to  celebrate 
her  praise  in  'verses  to  her  honour,  which,  in  the 
language  of  the  Arabian  poets,  are  compared  to 
pearls  strung  in  rows\  Nor  is  this  foreign  to 
the  stile  of  the  Hebrew,  since  several  of  the  psalms 
are  called  jewels  of  gold^  ;  and  Solomon  com- 
pares words  fitly  spoken,  by  which  I  understand 
a  well-formed  parable  or  verse,  to  citrons  of  gold 


1  The  ancient  Arabian  poems  were  of  two  sorts ;  [vid. 
Sale's  Prelim.  Disc,  to  the  Koran]  the  one  they  compared 
to  loose  pearls,  and  the  other  to  pearls  sirung.  In  the 
former  the  sentences  or  verses  were  without  connexion  ; 
and  their  beauty  arose  from  the  elegance  of  the  expres- 
sion, and  the  acuteness  of  the  sentiment.  The  moral 
doctrines  of  the  Persians  are  generally  comprehended  in 
such  independent  proverbial  apophthegms,  formed  into 
verse.  In  this  respetl  they  bear  a  considerable  resem- 
blance to  the  proverbs  of  Solomon  ;  a  great  part  of  which 
book  consists  of  unconnected  poetry,  like  the  poetry  of 
the  Arabians.  Blair's  Lectures,  vol.  III.  Le£l.  XXXVIII- 
— It  may  be  remarked  that  Hafiz  seems  to  point  out  a  third 
species  of  poetic  composition  when  he  compares  his  lyric 
Gonipcsitions  to  '  pearls  strung  at  random,'  on  account  of 
the  freedom  of  his  measures.  See  Uindky''%.  Persian  Ly- 
rics,   p.     10. — So     the     author    of     Bahur    Danush    says, 

*  Though   every    single    hair   of  mine    were    a   tongue,   I 

*  could  not  string  the  pearls  of  thy  merited  thanksgiving.' 
Mr.  Scott^  the  translator,  coiisiders  this  as  an  allusion  to 
the  beads  (or  rosaries)  of  the  Mahometans,  but  query. 

*  See  the  titles  of  Psalms  xvi.  Ivi.  Sec.  in  the  margin. 


(      184     ) 

in  basket-work  of  silver'.  So  Solomon  himself 
compares  the  maxims  of  wisdom  to   '  an  orna- 

*  ment  of  grace,'  (or  graceful  ornament)  for  the 
head,  and  chains  about  the  neck ^  !  which  imajjes 
perfe6lly  correspond  with  those  before  us. 

When  the   church  is  compared  to  a  horse^  a 
mare,  or  a  company  of  horses  %  v.^e  may  remark, 

1.  That  wc  arc  often  sent  in  the  Scriptures,  to 
learn  wisdom  and  virtue  from  the  brute  creation. 

*  Go  to  the  ant,  thou  sluggard  !'  is  the  pointed 
reproof  of  Solomon.  Isaiah  reproves  Israel  in 
comparing  them  to  the  ox  and  to  the  ass  : 

'  The  ox  knoweth  liis  owner, 
'  And  the  ass  his  master's  crib  : ' 
'  But  my  people  doth  not  know, 
*  Israel  doth  not  consider.' 

2.  The  virtues,  or  admirable  qualities  of  the 
horse  are  a^livity,  strength,  and  courage.     From 


1  Prov.  XXV.  11.  This  differs  materially  from  our  ver- 
sion :  the  Hebrew  is  a  loord  spoken  upon  its  tvheels,  which 
is,  I  suppose,  an  allusion  to  the  pottery,  and  means  that 
a  good  parable  (the  Hebrew  expression  for  poetry  and  me- 
taphor) is  artificially  framed  and  moulded  like  the  potter's 
vessel  on  tlie  wheel.  On  the  word  citrons,  see  note  on 
chap.  ii.  3,  of  this  book:  and  the  word  by  our  translators 
rendered  pictures,  is  admitted  to  mean  net  or  basket- 
woik. 

2  Prov.  i.  9. 

2  The  word  (\~!DD)  is  commonly  considered  as  a  collec- 
tive noun,  like  horse,  or  cavalry  in  English  :  but  several  of 
the  antient  versions  and  critics  take  it  for  a  noun  feminine 
singular,  with  the  pronominal  affix,  and  therefore  render 
it  *•  my  mare,'  i.  e.  some  admired  and  favourite  mare  ;  but 
the  ditTcrence  seems  not  important. 


(     185     ) 

the  former  this  creature  is  supposed,  in  Hebrew 
to  receive  its  name '  ;  and  the  latter  are  finely  ce- 
lebrated in  the  book  of  Job  : 

'  Hast  thou  given  to  the  horse  strength  ? 
'  Hast  thou  clothed  his  neck  with  thunder^  ? 

There  is  no  doubt  but  a6livity,  vigour,  for- 
titude, and  courage,  are  moral  and  Christian 
virtues  ;  but  I  forbear  enlarging,  that  I  may  not 
run  into  the  common  error.  We  have  observed 
that  the  comparison  is  here  made  chiefly  with  re- 
spect to  the  corpulency  of  the  horse  when  iv  ell -fed; 
and  it  is  remarkable  that  this  circumstance  is 
chiefly  alluded  to  when  the  animal  is  metaphori- 
cally introduced  in  scripture.  So  Jeremiah 
compares  Israel  to  '  'well  fed  horses^  ^''  because 
they  were  *  fed  to  the  full'  with  the  blessings  of 
divine  providence,  and  the  means  of  grace,  which 
David  calls  the  fatness  of  God''s  ho2ise :  analo- 
gous to  which  is  the  state  of  the  Christian  church 
in  times  of  outward  prosperity,  when  the  means 
of  grace  abound,  and  the  profession  of  Christian- 
ity is  unawed  and  uninterrupted  by  oppression  or 
persecution.     *  Jeshurun  waxed  fat  and  kicked.' 

But  the  most  striking  text  to   our  purpose  is 
in  the   prophet   Zechariah,    where    the  Lord 


1  Siis  [D"id]  probably  from  Shesh  [y^ti;]  to  be  a6live, 
sprightly,  £cc.  for  which  reason  the  Persians,  and  son>e 
other  nations,  used  to  sacrifice  horses  to  the  sun.  See 
Parkhurst  in  DD.  ,  f 

^   Job  xxxix.  19,  Sec. 

s  Jcr.  V.  7,  8. 

Aa 


(      186     ) 

of  Hosts  expressly  calls  the  house  of  Jiulah  '  his 
*■  GOODLY  HORSE  ID  the  day  of  battle  ;'  Avhere  is, 
I  conceive,  a  double  allusion  (as  in  Solomon) 
both  to  the  horse  and  its  ornaments, — the  horse 
Avcll-fed,  mettled^  bold,  courageous,  and  richly 
caparisoned,  as  the  '  horse'  of  a  commander  in 
chief  '  in  the  day  of  battle' .' 

When  the  ornaments^  whether  of  the  women 
or  horses,  are  here  mentioned,  we  may  recoiled 
the  apostolic  exhortation,  particularly  to  the  fair 
sex  ;   '  Whose  adorning'  (says  St.  Peter)  '  let  it 

*  not  be   that  outward  adorning,  of  plaiting  the 

*  hair,  and  of  wearing  of  gold,  or  of  putting  on  of 
^  [rich]  apparel  :  but  let  it  be  the  hidden  man  of 
'  the  heart,  in  that  which  is  not  corruptible,  [even 
'  the  ornament]  of  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit,  which 
'  is,  in  the  sight  of  God,  of  great  price.  For  af- 
'  ter  this  manner,  in  the  old  time,  the  holy  wo- 

*  men  also,  who  trusted  in  God,  adorned  them- 
'  selves.'  In  similar  language  the  apostle  Paul 
exhorts  '  that  women  adorn  themselves  in  modest 
^  apparel,  with  shamefacedness  and  sobriety  ;  not 
'  with  broidered  (or  plaited)  hair,  or  gold,  or 
'  pearls,  or    costly  array  ;   but  (which   becometh 

*  women      professing      godliness,)     with      good 

*  WORKS.' 

But  more  particularly  I  would  observe,  1. 
That  the  graces  of  the  Spirit  (which  are  the  same 

'  Zach.  X.  3.  There  is  a  peculiarity  in  the  original  of 
Uiis  text.  Judah  [nTin^]  signifies  praise,  glory,  &c.  and  in 
allusion  to  this  root,  Judah  is- called  a  glorious^  or  a  gor- 
geous horse,  by  a  word  (^"Tl^f)  nearly  related  to  that  root. 
Sec  Park,  in  mn  and  n'n\ 


(      187     ) 

as  the  moral  virtues  arising  from  evangelical  priri- 
ciples,  and  wrought  by  the  Holy  Ghost — the 
graces  of  the  Spirit)  are  recommended  to  us  as 
jewels,  pearls,  and  ornaments  of  gold  or  precious 
stones,  as  in  the  scriptures  already  cited. 

Sometimes  the  precepts  of  divine  truth  and 
wisdom  are  thus  represented.  So  Solomon, 
speaking  of  ivisdom — that  '  wisdom  which  is  from 

*  above' — says, 

*  She  is  more  precious  than  rubies, 

*  And  all  the  things   which    thou  canst  desire  [are]  not  to 

'  be  compared  unto  her*.' 

Speaking  of  her  precepts,  he  says, 

*  They  shall  be  life  unto  thy  soiil, 
'  And  grace  unto  thy  neck*. 

'  They  shall  be  an  ornament  of  grace  unto  thy  head, 

*  And  chains  about  thy  neck.^. 

2.  That  these  graces,  or  virtues,  are  con- 
nected like  the  links  of  a  chain.  Say,  that  the 
Christian  virtues  are  pearls,  or  precious  stones, 
then  grace  is  that  '  golden  thread'  on  which  they 
are  strung  ;  this  may  also  be  referred  to  the  bles- 
sings of  the  gospel,  which  all  depend  upon  the 
grace  of  God.  Thus  the  apostle  enumerates  the 
former — '  Add  to  your  faith  virtue  ;  and  to  virtue 

*  knowledge  ;  and  to  knowledge  temperance  ;  and 

*  to  temperance  patience  ;   and  to  patience  godli- 
*'  ness  ;  and  to  godliness  brotherly  kindness  ;  and 


^  Prov.  iii.  15.  *  Prov.  iii.  32. 

Prov.  i.  9. 


(     188     ) 

'  to  brotherly  kindness  charity*.'  Tlie  like  re- 
marks may  be  applied  to  the  rich  and  various  bles- 
sings of  the  covenant  of  grace  and  redemption  : 
thus  the  apostle  links  them  :  '  Whom  he  did  fore- 
'  know  he  also  did  predestinate  ;  whom  he  did 
'  predestinate,  them  he  also  called  ;  and  whom 
'  he  called,  them  he  also  justified  ;  and  whom  he 
'  justified,  them  he  also  glorified^.' 

Lastly,  wt  may  apply  this  to  the  praises  or 
encomiums  bestov/ed  upon  the  church  ;  and  it 
may  lead  us  to  observe  that,  however  the  irreli- 
gious world  ma}^  despise  or  deride  the  chara6\er 
of  the  true  believer,  those  best  acquainted  with 
it  will  commend  and  admire.  So  we  have  often 
seen  that  candid  minds,  and  those  open  to  con- 
viction, have  admired  and  commended  the  vir- 
tues and  graces,  which  they  were  little  disposed 
to  imitate.  '  See  how  these  Christians  love,'  was 
the  language  of  admiring  heathens. — The  virgins 
that  attend  the  church  praise  her. 

Ver.  12 — 14. 

Spouse.    While  the  king  is  in  his  circle  [of  friends] 
My  spikenard  shall  yield  its  odour. 
A  bundle  of  myrrh,  is  niy  beloved  unto  me, 
[Which]  shall  remain  continually  in  my  bosom. 
A  cluster  of  cypress,  is  my  beloved  unto  me, 
[Such  as]  in  the  vineyards  of  En-gedi. 

This  paragraph  presents  us  with  a  different 
set  of  images.  The  king  is  supposed  to  be  in 
the  circle  of  his  friends  at  the  marriage  feast ; 

i    1  Pet.  i.  5.  2   Rom.  viii.  29,  30. 


(     189     ) 

and  the  spouse  promises  in  allusion  to  eastern 
manners,  to  entertain  him  with  the  most  choice 
perfumes'  :  but  the  language  is  highly  metapho- 
rical. She  had  before  compared  his  name  to  li- 
quid perfume,  and  I  conceive  her  meaning  to  be, 
that  she  would  extol  him  before  the  company, 
and  that  her  praises  should  perfume  his  chara6ler, 
equal  to  the  fragrancy  of  ointments  poured  out, 
or  of  spices  burnt  before  him. 

In  this  view  the  allegory  admits  of  an  easy 
and  beautiful  application.  The  Redeemer  is  (or 
at  least  ought  to  be)  at  all  times  the  obje6t  of  the 
believer's  admiration  and  gratitude.  We  should 
praise  him  in  contemplating  the  works  of  nature 
and  of  providence — we  should  praise  him  in  all 
the  ordinances  of  his  house,  but  most  eminently 
at  his  table,  *  when  he  sitteth  in  the  circle  of  his 
*  friends.'  Then  should  our  hearts  burn  with 
holy  gratitude ;  then  should  our  lips  celebrate 
his  love,  and  our  graces  exhale  like  the  perfume 
of  spikenard. 


*  On  nuptial  occasions,  and  at  all  royal  and  noble  feasts, 
the  eastern  nations  are  very  profuse  in  their  use  of  per- 
fumes. Some  instances  occur  in  the  history  of  our  Lord 
himstlf  in  the  New  Testament.  See  Mark  xiv.  3.  John 
:^ii.  3. 

Of  the  true  spikenard  of  the  antients  there  have  been  some 
disputes.  Three  dissertations  on  it  may  be  found  in  the 
Asiatic  Resean-hss.  [See  vol.  II.  405.  IV.  418.]  Dr.  Box- 
burgh  calls  it  Valeriana  Jatatna?isi.  He  had  the  living 
plants  growing  in  baskets,  and  in  each  basket  were  about 
thirty  or  forty  hairy  spike-like  bodies,  more  justly  com- 
pared to  the  tails  of  ermine  or  small  weasels.  They  could 
not  be  brought  to  flower  out  of  its  native  soil— -IJootan. 
It  is  used  both  for  perfume  and  medicine. 


(     190     ) 

'  While  at  the  table  sits  the  kinjj, 

'  He  loves  to  see  us  smile  and  sing  : 

'  Our  graces  are  our  best  perfume, 

'  And  breathe  like  spikenard  round  the  room*. 

The  words  may,  however,  be  extended  to  the 
■whole  of  the  communion  subsisting  between  the 
Lord  and  his  people,  in  a6ls  of  social  worship. 

*  l^he  prayers  of  saints'  are  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment compared  to  '  incense  ;'  and  believers,  from 
their  being  permitted  at  all  times  to  offer  these, 
are  considered  as  '  priests'  whose  office  it  is  to 
offer  incense  '  unto  God-.' 

Beside  sprinkling  and  burning  perfumes,  the 
easterns  frequently  use  bunches  of  odoriferous 
plants  as  we  do  nosegays,  and  sometimes  wear 
little  bags  or  bottles  of  perfume  in  their  bosoms^ : 
both  which  circumstances  are  alluded  to  in  the 
next  verses. 

By  a  bundle^  bag,  or  bottle  of  myrrh,  I  under- 
stand a  small  vessel  filled  with  liquid  myrrh,  or 
that  precious  stacte  which  exudes  from  the  tree 
of  its  own  accord,  and  was  probably  worn  in  the 
bosom  to  exhilirate  the  spirits.  By  the  cypress 
here  mentioned  is  supposed  to  be  intended  the 
henna  (or  hinna)  a  plant  in  very  high  esteem  with 
the  Arabians,  and  other  eastern  nations.  Dr. 
Sha'W  says,  *  This  beautiful  and  odoriferous  plant, 

*  if  it  is  not  annually  cut  and  kept  very  low,  grows 

*  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  putting  out  its  little 


^    Watts,  Hymn  Ixvi.  B.  I.  ^  Rev.  v.  18. 

*  See  Jlarmer  on  Sol.  Seng,  p.  212.  Sec. 


(191     ) 

*  flowers  in  clusters  which  yield  a  most  grateful 

*  smell  like  camphire\' 

It  was'at  the  island  Hinzuan  or  Johuna,  that 
Sir  W.  Jones  first  saw  the  hinna,  which  he  de- 
scribes as  a  very  elegant  shrub,  about  six  feet 
hio'h  before  it  was  in  flower.  On  bruizinq:  some 
of  the  leaves,  moistened  with  water,  and  apply- 
ing it  to  the  nails  and  tips  of  the  fingers,  they  were 
in  a  short  time  changed  to  an  orange  scarlet''. 
So7inini  describes  this  plant  as  of  a  sweet  smell, 
and  commonly  ivorn  by  women  in  their  bosoms^. 

From  this  plant  being  said  to  grow   '  in  the 

*  vineyards  of  En-gedi,'  we  may  remark,  that  the 
Hebrews  did  not  restrift  the  term  "vineyards  to 
ground  devoted  to  the  culture  of  vines,  but  in- 
cluded in  it  every  kind  of  plantation  for  the  cul- 
ture of  curious  and  exotic  plants'^.  The  senti- 
ment expressed  under  both  these  images  is  the 
same,  and  amounts  I  conceive  to  this  ;  '  That 
'  the  sense  and  recolle6lion  of  her  beloved's  af- 
'  feclion  was  to  her  pleasant,  reviving,  and  ani- 
'  mating,  like  the  choicest  perfumes  even  worn 

*  continuiillv  in  the  bosom 


5     » 


Such  is  the  Lord  Jesus   Christ  to  his  church, 


1  Travels,  p.  11,3,  114.   2d.  edit, 

2  Works,  vol.  I.  p.  493. 

3  Hunter's  'J'rans.  vol.  I.  p.  273. 


*  See  Calnu-rs  Di6i.  also  Harmcr  on  Sol.  Song,  p.  34. 

*  'I'he  original  word  for  remain  signifies  '  to  stay,  abide, 
i  remain,'  and  is  by  no  means  confined  to  the  niir'it.  Bate^ 

arK/rurst,   Harmer. 


(      192     ) 

and  to  the  individual  believers  of  which  it  is  com- 
posed. 

1.  His  love  is  precious  like  myrrh.  Images 
of  this  kind  make  but  weak  impressions  on  the 
imagination  of  an  European  ;  but  to  see  the  man- 
ner in  Vvhich  an  Asiatic  enjoys  perfumes  would 
suggest  a  strong  idea  of  the  rapturous  manner  in 
which  St.  Paul  expresses  his  sense  of  redeeming 
love  :  '  O  the  height  and  depth,  the  length  and 
'  breadth  of  the  love  of  Christ !' 

2.  We  should  endeavour  to  preserve  this  sense 
of  the  love  of  Christ  in  our  hearts — wear  it  in  -our 
bosoms.      So    saith  the  apostle    Jude  :    '  Keep 

*  yourselves  in  the  love  of  God  ;   looking  for  the 

*  mercy   of  the  Lord  Jesus   Christ    unto   eternal 

*  life'.'  The  continual  recollection  of  the  love  of 
Christ  to  us,  is  the  most  certain  way  to  keep  alive 
our  affedion  to  him. 

3.  The  Jew^shave  a  remark  on  this  text,  which, 
though  caballistical  enough,  may  be  worth  re- 
peating. They  observe,  in  their  mystical  way, 
that  the  original  word  for  cypress  signifies  also 
an  atonement ;  and  that  the  two  vrords,  a  cluster 
of  cypress,  may  with  a  slight  variation  be  changed 
into  '  the  man  who  propitiates  all  things,'  and 
point  strongly  to  the  Messiah,  and  his  death  and 
sacriEce.  Dr.  Watts  beautifully  alludes  to  this 
idea. 

'  As  myrrh  nevr  blecflins^^  from  the  tree, 
«  Such  is  a  dying  Christ  to  me  ; 
*  And  while  he  makes  my  soul  his  guesl, 
'  Tliy  besom,  Lord  1  shall  be  ray  rest.' 

1  Jude,  ver.  21, 


(     19S     ) 
SECTION    III. 

Ch.  I.  ver.  15—17. 

Bridegroom.  Behold,  thou  art  beautiful,  my  consort : 

Behold,  thou  art  beautiful !  thine  eyes  are  doves,' 

Spouse.  Behold,  thou   art   beautiful,  my  beloved  ;  yea 

pleasant  : 
Yea  verdant  is  our  carpet. 

Bridegroom.  Cedars  are  the  roof  of  our  house, 
And  the  Brutine  trees  our  rafters. 

Dr.  Kennicott  makes  a  division  here,  with 
a  change  of  scene  ;  and,  though  I  confess  my- 
self rather  doubtful,  I  have  followed  his  example. 
If  we  continue  the  scene,  we  must  consider  this 
verse  as  an  answer,  to  the  affeftionate  expressions 
of  the  spouse  in  the  preceding  paragraph  ;  com- 
mending her  beauty,  and,  in  particular  her  eyes^ 
as  the  faithful  index  of  her  heart.  The  general 
current  of  critics  and  interpreters  run  a  parallel 
between  her  eyes  and  the  eyes  of  doves,  and  it  is 
certain  that  there  is  something  very  beautiful  and 
striking  in  the  eyes  of  the  carrier  pigeon,  which 
is  the  true  Assyrian  dove  :  but  having  considered 
the  construdlion  of  the  original,  and  the  manner 
in  which  the  same  image  is  afterwards  introduced, 
with  the  nature  of  the  parabolic  imagery,  I  am 
compelled  to  yield  to  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Hodg- 
son', that  the  eyes  are  compared,  not  to  the 
eyes  of  doves,  but  to  doves  themselves  :  for, 
as  he  observes,  when  it  is  afterwards  said,  '  her 
*  eyes  are  fishpools^'*  it  must  be  taken  in  this 
manner ;    and  so    elsewhere  her    hair  and  teeth 

^  In  loc. 

Bb 


(     194     ) 

are  compared  to  goats  and  sheep,  and  not  merely 
to  the  hair  of  goats  and  the  teeth  of  sheep,  as  we 
shall  have  farther  occasion  to  observe ' .  The  ge- 
neral ideas  of  the  metaphor  are  purity,  affe6lion, 
and  simplicity  of  understanding.  Let  us  apply 
these  figures. 

1.  The  eye  is  a  natural  and  scriptural  image  of 
the  understanding — whence  the  expression  of  '  the 

*  eyes  of  the  understanding.'  And  on  these  sub- 
je61;s  we  cannot  avoid  recollecting  the  maxim  of 
our  Lord,  to  *  be  wise  as  serpents  and  harmless 

*  as  doves  ;'  and  the  apostle  James's  character  of 
divine  wisdom,  as  first  pure,  and  then  peaceable, 
easy  to  be  entreated. 

2.  Chaste  affe6lion  is  probably  the  principal 
idea  of  the  writer.  Doves  were  among  the  an- 
tients  sacred  to  love.  Venus  had  her  car  drawn 
by  them.  The  eye  is  the  seat  of  love,  as  the 
dove  is  the  emblem  of  it*.  This  may  afford  us  a 
hint  upoi*  the  nature  of  genuine  love  to  Christ. 
Such  is  the  depravity  of  our  nature,  and  the  im- 
perfedtion  of  our  holy  things,  that  we  are  very  apt 
to  mix  carnality  with   our  best  aJpfe6lions,  and  to 


1  I  am  the  more  satisfied  with  this  interpretation,  from 
observing  the  following  image  in  a  Persian  poet,  (which 
should  be  compared  also  with  ch.  v.  12.)  The  bard  I  allude 
to  says,  the  eyes  of  his    mistress    '  played  like    a   pair  of 

*  water-birds  with  azure  plumage,  that  sport  near  a  full- 
'  blown  lotos  on  a  pool,  in  the  season  of  dew.'  Sir  IV. 
Jones's  Works,  vol.  I. 

2  One  of  our  own  poets,  in  an  expression  similar  to  that 
I  have  just  cited  from  an  eastern  bard,  says,  '  Love  in  her 

*  eyes  sits  playing  ;'  but  in  Solomon  the  image  is  san6li- 
fied  ;  the  cupid  is  exchanged  for  a  dove,  and  wantonness 
for  purity. 


(     195     ) 

offer  to  our  God  a  sacrifice  with  profane  fire.   This 
appears  in  several  ways  ;   but  chiefly, 

1.  When  wc  entertain  low  and  mean  ideas  of 
the  divine  chara6ler  ;  when  we  think  him  '  such 
*  another  as  ourselves:'  an  error  which  VvC  are 
the  more  exposed  to  from  the  kind  and  conde- 
scending characters  he  has  assumed  :  but  to  pre- 
vent this  we  should  accustom  ourselves  to  con- 
template the  divine  and  human  glories  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  in  their  union.  He  is  both  a  lion  and  a 
lamif :  *  the  root  and  offspring  of  David.'  Of 
the  seed  of  Abraham  and  of  David,  according  to 
the  flesh ;  but,  in  his  superior  and  divine  cha- 
racter, *  over  all,  God  blessed  for  ever !' 

(2.)  We  should  avoid  all  those  gross  and  car- 
nal expressions,  which  degrade  and  deprave  de- 
votion. Jesus  Christ  is  indeed  dear,  iTifinitely 
dear,  to  all  his  people ;  yet  terms  of  endearment 
borrowed  from  the  objects  of  our  carnal  love  have 
a  tendency  to  degrade  him,  whom  it  is  our  first 
desire  to  honour.  They  that  treat  him  but  as  the 
babe  of  Bethlehem  still,  should  remember  that  he 
is  not  always  a  child :  but  that  he  has  attained 
maturity,  and  taken  possession  of  his  throne. 

(3.)  The  dove  was  a  sacred  emblem,  not  only 
with  the  Hebrews,  but  with  the  Syrians,  who 
worshipped  the  Deity  under  this  form,  and  bore 
this  image  in  their  colours.  It  has  been  thought 
also  that  tliey  decorated  their  sacred  doves,  co- 
vering '  their  wings'  with  ornaments  of  '  silver, 


(     15G     ) 

f  and  their  feathers  with  yellow  golcU.'  Though 
I  rather  suppose  this  passage  alludes  to  the  splen- 
did images  of  this  bird,  wrought  in  gold  and  sil- 
ver upon  their  standards. — Our  love  to  Christ 
should  be  always  dignified  with  devotion  ;  it 
should  be  religious  as  well  as  pure.  A  certain 
writer  mentions  a  young  lady  of  rank  in  a  foreign 
monastery,  who  from  her  constant  devotion  to  a 
crucifix,  '  conceived  a  passionate  tenderness  for 
'  the  obje6l  of  her  worship;'  and  he  adds,  that 
the  images  of  all  the  saints  have  their  inamoratos'^ . 
I  fear  this  folly  is  not  wholly  confined  to  catholics. 
When  we  essentially  mistake  the  chara6ler  of  the 
Redeemer,  we  worship  an  idol  of  our  own  imagi- 
nation, rather  than  the  true  Christ  of  God. 

In  the  following  verses  the  bride  returns  the 
compliment  to  her  beloved,  and  commences  an 
amiable  altercation,  as  Dr.  Doderlein  understands 
it,  respetVing  the  pleasures  and  advantages  of  u 
town  and  country  life. 

Her  commendation  of  the  beloved  is  expressed 
in  two  terms — He  is  beautiful^  and  pleasant. 
The  former  idea  will  recur  with  much  enlarge- 
ment in  the  description  of  his  person  :  the  latter 
term  merits  some  observatioii  here. 

The  term  p!casa7it\  personally  applied,  in 
the  scriptures  constantly  intends  the  pleasures  and 

i-Ps.  Ixviii.     Sec  Havmer's  Obsei'vations. 

2   NoU's  Odes  of  Haliz,  p.  25,  note. 

5  CSTJ  from  tnya  '  pleasant,  sweet,  agreeable'  The 
term  is  applied  to  a  variety  of  objeC>.s  which  determine  its 
sense;  as  to  a  country,  an  instrument  of  music,  or  to 
speech :  but,  personally  applied,  it  intimates  the  felicitjf 
of  friendship  and  union  of  heart. 


(     197     ) 

the    agreeable    harmony   of  friendship.     So  the 
Psahnist  tells  us,  '  it  is  pleasant  for  brethren  to 

*  dwell  together  in  unity'.'  Saul  and  Jonathan 
were  '  pleasant  in  their  lives  ^  ;  that  is,  harmoni- 
ous and  agreeable  ;  and  the  latter  was  '  very  plea- 
'  sant'  also  to  David  ;  that  is,  he  was  emphatically 
h'ls'/riefid^  which  very  term  the  spouse  applies  to 
her  beloved  in  this  song. — We  may  here  remark 
by  the  way,  that  great  part  of  the  felicity  of  the 
matrimonial  state  depends  on  friendship.  Where 
the  husband  considers  the  wife  only  as  the  instru- 
ment of  his  pleasures,  or  an  object  of  his  conve- 
niency,  it  can  only  be  expelled  that  she  should 
regard  him  as  a  master  and  a  tyrant.  But  a  union 
of  interests,  a  reciprocity  of  affection,  and  an  in- 
terchange of  kind  offices,  engender  friendship,  and 
friendship  completes  and  crowns  the  happiness  of 
the  nuptial  state. 

The  Lord  Jesus  is  eminently  the  church's 
friend,  and  she  is  his  friend — companion — cofi- 
sortK  Thus  he  addressed  his  own  disciples — 
'  Henceforth  I  call  you  not  servants — but  friends'*!' 
And  this  term  implies  both  privileges  and  duties. 

1.  It  is  the  privilege  of  friends  to  be  intrusted 
with  each  other's  secrets.      '  The  servant  know- 

*  eth  not  what  his  Lord  doth  :  but  I  have  called 


1   Ps.  cxxxiii.  1.  2  2  Sam.  i.  23,  26. 

'  The  Hebrew  name  for  a  friend,  companion,  or  neigh- 
bour, [nn]  is  properly  a  messmate^  whence  [DT"!]  a  fe- 
male companion,  a  consort.     See  Parkhurst. 

4.  John  XV.  15. 


(      198     ) 

*  you  friends,'  saith  our  Redeemer  ;  *  for  all 
'  things  that  I  have  heard  of  my  Father,  I  have 

*  made  known  unto  you.'     He  '  revealeth  himself 

*  unto  them  as  he  doth  not  unto  the   world  ;'  for 

*  the  secret  of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  him, 
'  and  he  will  shew  them  his  covenant' .'  So  Abra- 
ham was  the  friend  of  God  :  the  Lord  therefore 
would  not  destroy  Sodom  till  he  had  acquainted 
him.     '  Shall   I  do  this,  and    not    let   Abraham 

*  know  ?' 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Lord's  people  have  their 
secrets,  which  they  confide  to  his  ear.  They 
have  their  secret  sins  to  confess,  their  secret 
sorrows  to  relate,  and  their  secret  comforts  to 
enjoy.  •  They  '  pray  in  secret'  to  him  that  *  hear- 
*■  eth  in  secret ;  and  they  have  '  bread  to  eat  in 

*  secret'  which  the  world  kno^vs  nothing  of. 

2.  The  friendship  here  referred  to  arises,  in  a 
great  measure,  from  a  unity  of  ideas,  interests, 
and  designs.  '  In  thy  light  shall  we  see  light,' 
saith  the  Psalmist.  By  viewing  obje6ls  in  the 
same  light  with  God,  we  become  reconciled  to 
all  his  will,  and  assimilated  gradually  unto  his 
image.  By  viewing  sin  in  God's  light,  we  see  it 
to  be  exceeding  sinful — by  viewing  holiness  in 
God's  light,  we  discover  it  to  be  akogether  ami- 
able— by  viewing  afi[li6lions  in  God's  light,  we 
discern  them  to  be  working  together  for  our  good. 
r-r-Unity  of  ideas  creates  unity  of  interest.     If  we 

1  Ps.  x^v. 


(     199     ) 

see  obje6ls  in  the  same  light  with  God,  wc  see 
our  interests  to  be  the  same.  Men's  interests,  as 
individuals,  are  as  various  as  their  faces  ;  but  the 
believer's  best  interests  are  those  of  Christ  and  his 
cause.  The  promotion  of  holiness,  and  the  ad- 
vancement of  vital  Christianity,  are  the  believer's 
interest,  and  he  prefers  them  to  his  '  chief  joy.' 
Se6laries  have  all  their  interests — the  interests  of 
parties  and  denominations  ;  but  in  proportion  as 
we  drink  into  the  spirit  of  Christ,  we  shall  endea- 
vour to  submit  our  peculiar  views  and  interests 
to  that  common  one  of  Christ  and  his  church ; 
^nd  to  say,  with  a  pious  versifier, 

*  Let  names,  and  se6ls,  and  parties  fall, 
'  And  Jesus  Christ  be  all  in  all  ! 

We  are  too  apt  to  measure  Christ's  interest  by 
ours,  and  suppose  that  his  cause  must  be  best 
promoted  in  the  advancement  of  our  party  :  but 
the  contrary  ought,  and  as  grace  prevails,  will 
be  our  conduct.  Let  our  party  die  and  be  for- 
gotten, if  so  be  the  general  interests  of  Christ  may 
thereby  be  promoted.- — In  fine,  if  we  expedV 
Christ  to  make  our  interest  his,  let  us  make  his 
interest  ours. 

Unity  of  interest  implies  unity  of  design.  It  is 
the  grand  design  of  God  to  promote  holiness.  Be 
this  our  grand  objecl,  both  as  it  respecl:s  ourselves 
and  others. 

Friendship  has  its  duties  as  well  as  privileges, 
'  Ye  are  my  friends,'  saith  our  Lord,  '  if  ye  do 
*  whatsoever  I  command  you  :'  and  it  is  vain  and 
hypocritical  to  assume  this  character  without  a 
disposition  to  perform  its  obligations  :   '  A  man 


(     200     ) 

*  that  hath  friends  must  shew  himself  friendly  : 
'  and  there  is  a  friend  that  sticketh  closer  than  a 

*  brother.' 

But  our  subject  would  rather  lead  us  to  com- 
mend the  pleasures  of  friendship  :  Christ  is  a 
pleasant  friend. — His  ivords  are  pleasant;  and 
'  pleasant  words  are  as  an  honey- comb,  sweet  to 

*  the  soul,  and  health  to  the  bon^s.' — His  coun- 
tenance is  pleasant  :  '  it  is  a  pleasant  thing  for 
'  the  eyes  to  behold  the  sun  ;'  much  more  is  it  to 
behold  the   sun  of  righteousness.     '  In  the  light 

*  of  the  king's  countenance  is  life' ,  says  Solomon. 

*  Lord,  lift  thou  up  the  light  of  thy  countenance 

*  upon  us  !' — His  company  is  pleasant :   '  one  day 

*  in  his  courts  is  better  than  a  thousand  :' — '  His 

*  riches  perish  with   him,'    says  an   old    writer, 

*  who  prefers  all  the  riches  and  pleasures  of  the 
■world  to  one  hour's  communion  with  Jesus  Christ.' 

The  spouse  adds — "  Yea  verdant  is  our  carpet." 
The  reader  is  to  recolle6l  that  the  present  scene 
is  supposed  to  be  the  garden  of  the  palace.  The 
eastern  gardens  are  laid  out  upon  an  extensive 
scale,  including  pleasure-grounds  and  plantations 
of  various  descriptions.  The  present  spot  ap- 
pears to  have  been  a  plat  or  lawn,  '  verdant'  as  '  a 

*  carpet.'  The  word  which  I  have  rendered  "uer- 
dant,  does  not  refer  primarily  to  colour^  but  to 
colour  only  as  it  is  the  effect  of  vigorous  and  lively 
vegetation^     The   other  term,  rendered  carpet. 


^   Prov.  xvi.  15. 

2  n33in  green,  from  ^."iri  to  flourish  vigorously,  as  a  plant. 
rarkhuni. 


(     201      ) 

is  in  the  common  version  bed ;  nor  is  the  dififT- 
ence  so  great  as  may  appear  to  a  mere  English 
reader  ;  since  the  eastern  beds  are  usually  matSj 
mattrasses,  or  carpets  spread  upon  the  diian^  a 
part  of  the  room  elevated  above  the  rest.  To 
these  a  green  plat  or  lawn  would  very  aptly  cor- 
respond, and  might  be  very  properly  stiled  '  a 
*  verdant  carpet;'  just  as  an  eastern  poet  speaks 
of  '  the  carpet  of  the  garden'  bespangled  with 
gold ' . 

But  what  is  the  design  of  this  expression  ?  Mr. 
Harmer,  who  supposes  this  scene  to  be  at  some 
distance  from  Jerusalem,  understands  the  words 
as  expressing  a  modest  wish  to  delay  the  consum- 
mation of  the  marriage  by  protracting  her  journey  ; 
but  we  suppose  that  period  to  be  past;  and,  if  not, 
such  an  interpretation  appears  to  me  unnatural 
and  inconsistent  in  a  bride  so  much  flattered  with 
her  new  connexion,  and  so  enamoured  of  her 
royal  bridegroom. 

Dr.  DoDERLEiN  considers  the  passage  as  the 
commendation  of  a  rural  life  in  preference  to  a 
residence  in  the  metropolis ;  while,  in  the  next 
verse,  the  bridegroom  describes  the  splendour  of 
.-a  palace,  of  which  the  meanest  parts  were  formed 
of  cedars,  and  of  fir,  or  cypress*. 

*  Ensoof  Zooleikay  appended  to  White's  Institutes  of 
Tamur, 

*  [i  Kiroth,  ntlp,  mean  beams^  the  correspondin,-^  word 
should  be  rafters^  which  the  original  is  allowed  to  bear. 
Rahiihe^  ta">n"i,  is  supposed  to  be  from  the  Chaldee  hrM^ 
currere,  to  run.  IBuxtorf.']  In  the  first  instance  it  evident- 
ly means  canals  in  which  water  runs  for  cuttle,  Gen.  xxx. 
S8,   41. 

Cc 


f  202-  y 

But  a  learned  and  ingenious  friend,  who  Iias^ 
favoured  this  version  with  his  perusal,  h^umionizes. 
the  verses  thus  :  He  supposes  that,  while  a  ver- 
dant lawn,  perhaps  glowing  with  the  intermixture 
of  the  most  beautiful  flowers, -forms  their  carpet, 
they  were  seated  in  an  alcove,  artificially  formed 
b}'  the  intervening  branches  of  the  cedar  and  the 
fir-tiec,  to  shelter  them  from  the  scorching  sun- 
beams. Thus  the  cedars  and  the  firs  might  be 
poetically  called  the  beams  and  rafters  of  their 
choisk^  summer-house,  or  arbour. — This  I  con- 
fess appears  to  me  far  the  most  beautiful  and  ele- 
gant idea,  and  the  moral  or  spiritual  improve- 


2clly,  It  TTiny  here  mean  rafters^  beins^  so  vised  both  in- 
the  Misnah  and  in  the  Midrash  (as  Dr.  Gill  observes  front 
R.  Sol.  Jarchi )  because  perhaps  rafters  are  so  laid  as  to- 
form  a  resembhmce  of  canals  in  their  interstices  ;  and  3d, 
in  another  part  of  this  sonij,  (chap.  vii.  5.)  it  is  used  for 
galleries,  ambulacra  ( Biixtorf)  which  have  also  an  evident 
resemblance  to  the  primary  meaning  of  the  word. 

It  must  be  confessed  our  common  printed  copies  here 
read  l^U'in'i  :  but  many  MSS.  and  additions  read  rj^a^rrr.. 
Eight  MSS.  one  edition,  all  the  ancient  versions,  and  a 
Greek  MS.  in  the  library  of  St.  Mark,  at  Venice,  read  the 
•word  plural,  either  Ta^tairri  or  n>Dm.  [V'id.  Doderkin  Scho- 
lia in  V.  T.  p.  193  ;  Notx  Crit.  in  Cant,  in  Repert.  BibL 
et  Or.  t.  vii.  p.  224.  et  Paulus  Repert.  Or.  t.  xvii.  p.  138..] 
Buxlorf^  though  he  writes  laU'-m,  places  it  inider  the  root 
lam,  and  says,  '  Scribitiu"  cum  n,  scd  juxta  Masor.  legi- 
tur  per  n.' 

Tlicre  is  anotlier  doubtfv.l  word  in  this  verse.  CnTtns, 
according-  to  Ainsnvorth^  are  l^rutinc  trees,  (  called  \}y  Pliny 
'  bruta')  resembling  the  cypress,  with  whitish  branches, 
and  of  an  odorifeious  scent.  So  the  I. XX.  KiTrjc^is-a-o;,  and 
Vulg.  cypressina,  cypress  trees.  But  others  suspec\  th.it, 
by  tlie  exchange  of  a  single  letter,  this  is  used  for  tz:"'Um2, 
(which  indeed  is  the  reading  of  several  MSS.  both  in  Ken- 
aicott  and  De  Rossi)  commonly  rendered  firs. 


r     203     ) 

ment  \vill  be  founded  on  this  simple  thought — 
that  wherever  the  presence  of  Christ  is,  there  is 
every  obje6l  dear  and  delightful  to  a  believer- 
Wherever  he  treads,  flowers  of  celestial  beauty 
spring  around  his  feet ;  wherever  he  rests,  trees 
of  immortal  verdure  bloom  around  his  head. 

But  my  friend  may  be  mistaken  ;  and  if  my 
reader  approve  the  more  general  idea,  of  a  con- 
trast between  the  verses,  as  marking  the  differ- 
ence between  a  rural  choisk  and  a  royal  palace,  I 
am  not  willing  to  impede  his  spiritual  improve- 
ment by  with-holding  a  farther  remark  on  this  sup- 
position ;  namely,  that  though  the  Lord  doth  of- 
ten vouchsafe  to  his  people  much  happiness  and 
pleasure  in  retirement,  and  in  private  communion, 
3  et  his  special  presence  and  blessing  are  to  be 
sought  for  in  his  public  ordinances,  in  his  holy 
temple  :   for  '  the  beams  of  his  house  are  cedar,, 

*  and  his  rafters  ai-e  of  fir..' 

'  No  beams  of  cedar  or  of  fir 

'  C;ui  with  thy  courts  on  earth  compare ; 

*  And  heie  we  wait  until  thy  love 

'  Raise  us  to  nobler  scats  above.' 

WATTS. 

The  Targum  applies  this  to  the  third  temple,^ 
which  the  Jews  expecl  to  '  be  built  in  the  days 
'  of  the  king  Messiah,  v,hose  beams  will  be  of 
'  the  cedars  of  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  whose 

*  rafters  will  be  of  brutine,  fir,  and  box.'  Apply 
this  to  the  Christian  church,  the  true  temple  of 
Messiah,  and  it  may  lead  us  to  remark,  that  this 
h  composed  of  the  most   valuable  and  durable 


(     204     ) 

materials  :   not  rotten  hypocrites  or  painted  pro, 
fessors  ;   but  sound  and  savory  believers. 

I  may  add,  once  more,  that  we  are  too  apt  to 
rest  in  present  attainments  and  present  enjoy- 
ments in  ixligion,  \\ithout  endeavouring  to  make 
a  progress.  We  are,  like  Peter,  for  building 
tabernacles,  and  saying,  '  It  is  good  for  us  to  be 
'  here,'  when  it  is  better  for  us  to  go  forward  in 
our  journey.  For  whatever  pleasures,  or  happi- 
ness, we  may  find  in  our  present  attainments  and 
privileges,  the  Lord  hath  better  and  richer  bles- 
sings in  reserve  for  us.  We  may  say  with  David, 
*  the  lines  have  fallen  to  us,'  (that  is,  our  lot  hath 
been  marked  out)  '  in  pleasant  places,'  or  wuth 
Solomon,  *  verdant  is  our  carpet ;'  but  what  are 
present  enjoyments  tj&  what  God  is  capable  of 
bestowing  ?  What  arc  temporal  and  transitory 
blessings  to  those  which  are  eternal  ?  And  what 
are  the  tents  and  tabernacles  in  which  he  dwells 
on  earth  tb  his  palace  in  the  heavens  ? 


Ch.  II.  Ver.  1— 3. 

Spouse.  I  am  a  I'ose  of  Sharon  ; 

A  lily  of  the  vallies. 
Bridegroom.    As  a  lily  anion^*  Ihorns, 

So  is  my  consort  amon-^  the  daughters. 
Spouse.  As  the  citron-tree  among  the  trees  of  the  wood. 

So  is  my  beloved  among  the  sons. 

In  his  shade   I  delighted  and  sat  down, 

And  his  fruit  was  sweet  unto  my  taste. 


If  I  mistake  not,  the  chapters  should  not  have 
been  separated  here,  because  the  scene  and  con- 
versation are  continued.     The  spouse,  perhaps, 


1 


(     205     ) 

with  the  most  beautiful  produ61ions  of  the  royal 
garden  in  her  view,  ventures  to  compare  herseh^, 
not  with  them,  but  with  the  more  humble  na- 
tives of  the  fields'  and  vallies^.  Here  I  conceive 
may  be  an  allusion  to  her  conversation  with  tho 
virgins  in  the  former  chapter ;  and  the  thought 
might  be  naturally  suggested  by  the  assemblage 
of  beauty  collected  at  the  royal  nuptials.  '  I  am  a 
'  rose,  '  says  she,  '  and  am  now  transplanted  into 
'  the  royal  garden  ;   but  I  am  not  a  native  of  this 

*  soil.     I  was  not  educated  in  a  palace  ;  though  I 

*  was  born  there.     My  mother's  sons  were  angry 

*  with  me,  they  made  me  a  keeper  of  the  vine- 

*  yards,  and  I  became  an  inhabitant  of  the  fields  ; 
'  there     I     should     have     bloomed     and    died, 

*  unnoticed     and    unadmired,     had    not     provi- 
'  dence  opened  a  way  for  my  removal  hither.' 

That  these  are  the  words   of  the   spouse,  ra- 


1  Sharon  was  a  fertile  plairt,  famous  for  its  paflures,  as 
appears  from  1  Chi'on.  xxvii.  29.  A  part,  at  lead,  of  this 
difti-i6\,  in  which  a  town  of  the  fame  name  was  fituatcd 
(1  Chron.  v.  16)  is  faid  in  the  Mifhnah  (title  Sota)  to  have 
been  of  a  peculiarly  dry  and  Candy  foil,  which  is  the  bed 
adapted  for  the  growth  of  rofes  ;  and  it  is  probable  that  they 
were  here  cultivated  for  their  use  in  perfumes,  which  form 
an  important  article  of  commerce  in  the  east.  The  LXX 
read  '  a  rose  of  the  field,'  which  gives  the  same  general  idea, 
though  not  so  accurate, 

2  By  a  '  lily  of  the  vallies'  we  are  not  to  understand  the 
humble  flower  generally  so  called  with  us,  the  lilium  conva!- 
Hum  ;  but  the  nobler  flower  which  ornaments  our  gardens  , 
and  which  in  Palestine  grows  wild  in  the  fields,  and  espe- 
cially in  the  vallies,  among  the  corn.  '  See  the  lilies  of  the 
*  field,  how  they  grow  : — yet  Solomon,  in  all  his  glory,  wa^ 
<  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these.'     Matt.  vi.  28,  29. 


(     206     )   ' 

tlier  than  of  the  bridegroom,  I  infer,  not  so 
much  from  the  words,  '  rose  and  lily,'  being  of 
feminine  termination  ;  but  chiefly  from  the 
current  of  the  dialogue,  in  which  they  seem 
naturally  to  belong  to  the  spouse,  and  the  pre- 
ceding and  following  verses  to  the  beloved. 
And  this  I  find  is  '  the  general  opinion  of  the  Jew- 
*  ish  do6\ors,'  as  m  ell  as  of  some  very  respecta- 
ble Christian  interpreters ' . 

Among  the  Greeks  the  rose  was  called  the 
plant  of  love,  and  considered  as  sacred  to  Ve- 
nus :  and  they  suppose,  if  Jupiter  were  to  set  a 
king  over  the  flowers,  it  would  be  this.  The 
easterns,  both  in  ancient  and  modern  times,  are 
no  less  fond  of  images  derived  from  the  same 
source.  The  great  Mogul,  in  a  letter  to  our 
king  James  I.  compliments  him  by  comparing 
him  to  this  flower  :  and  most  of  the  eastern  po- 
ets celebrate  its  charms.  The  original  word  here 
used  for  the  rose  is  supposed  in  its  derivation  to 
signify  the  shadowing  plant ;  and  we  read  of  rose- 
trees  of  great  extent  and  prodigious  size  ;  but  I 
jather  incline  to  the  opinion,  that  it  stri(^ly 
means  the  rose-bud,  or  sh&dow^i:/  rose,  that  is, 
shaded  with  the  calyx  - , 


1  Viz.  Ainsworth,  Brii;-ht!nan,  Lyra,  Vatablus,  Cocceius, 
Michaelis,  Dr.  Percy,   Mr.  Harmer,  Sec. 

2  See  Parkhurst  in  nbi'in,  who  observes  that  Acjuila 
renders  this  word  in  the  only  two  places  in  which  it  occurs, 
y.xXvy.uja-ti;  and  xaXy|,  which  properly  signify  a  rost:  half  blonvn. 
And  it  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  this  appears  to  be  a  very 
favourite  image  with  the  eastern  poets.  So  the  Persian  au- 
thor of  Bulnir  Danuslif  translated  by  Mr.  Scott,  represents 


'(     207     ) 

Pliny  reckons  the  lily  the  next  plant  in 
excellency  to  the  rose,  and  the  gay  Anacregm 
compares  Venus  to  this  flower.  In  the  east,  as 
with  us,  it  is  the  emblem  of  purity  and  moral 
excellence.  So  the  Persian  poet  Sadi  com- 
pares an  amiable  youth  to  '  the  white  lily  in  a 

*  bed  of  narcissuses  ;'  because  he  surpassed   '  all 
j          *  the  young  shepherds  in  piety,    goodness,  and 

*  vigilance.' 

These  hints  are  sufRcient  to  point  out  the 
general  design  of  the  emblems  j  let  us  now 
apply  them  to  their  proper  object  in  the  alle- 
gory. 

1.  The  church  compares  herself  to  the  rose 
and  the  lily,  as  the  genuine  emblems  of  love 
and  virtue,  innocence  and  purity  j  for  such  arc 
the  chara6lers  of  the  church,  and,  through  grace, 
of  the  individuals  who  compose  it.  This  is  not, 
hovv^ever,  their  character  by  nature ;  for  they 
are  wild  plants  till  they  are  transplanted,  and  cul- 


the  rose-bud  in  love  wiHi  the  nightingale  under  several 
points  of  view:  1.  As  reserved  and  coy  :  '  I  said,  Why  is 
'  the  rose-bud  so  reserved  ?  And  I  heard  that  it  w^ished  to 
'  conceal  its  treasures.'     Vol.  III.  p.  210. 

2.  As  uneasy  under  the  restraints  of  a  single  life,  and  de- 
sirous of  admitting  the  addresses  of  the  nightingale  :  '  Say 
'  ye  to  the  rose-bud,  be  not  uneasy  at  thy  confinement  ;  for 
'  thou  wilt  soon  be  released  by  the  breath  of  dawn,  and 
'  the  wavings  of  the  zephyrs.'     Vol.  II.  p.  152. 

3.  As  at  length  bursting  with  passion  to  receive  the  ca- 
resses of  its  favourite  bird.  '  The  rose  exposed  itself  from 
*  every  opening  ;  rending  the  vesture  of  its  bud  into  a 
<  thoufand  fragments.'     Vol.  I.  p.  53. 


(     208     ) 

tlvated  by  grace,   which  can  convert  weeds  2m.d 
wild  flowers  into  beautiful  and  pleasant  plants. 

2.  The  church  expresses  herself  with  mo- 
desty'.— She  is  a  rose,  but  it  is  arose  of  the 
field  ;  a  lily,  but  only  a  lily  of  the  vallies.  Not 
the  elegant  produ6lions  of  a  royal  garden,  but 
the  spontaneous  growth  of  the  field  and  valley. 
Again,  the  rose  to  which  she  compares  herself 
is  not  the  full  blown  flower,  but  the  bud  with 
its  beauties  shaded  and  concealed ;  the  finest 
emblem  in  nature  of  modesty  and  unassuming 
excellence. 

The  lily  was  a  favourite  emblem  with  the  He- 
brews, and  much  employed  in  their  carving,  em- 
broidery, and  other  ornamental  works  ;  and  this 
I  think  not  without  some  mystery.  The  lily  was, 
I  suppose,  sacred  to  the  light*  : — and  so  to  Christ 
the  true  immortal  light,  the  sun  of  righteousness  ; 
and  this  perhaps  accounts  best  for  the  so  frequent 
use  of  iilj'-work  in  the  temple,  and  in  the  dresses 
of  the  high-priest. 

In  another  respect  the  church  is  compared  to 
to  this  flower,  remarkable  for  growth  as  well  ad 
beauty,  ipid  singularly  fruitful  :  Israel  shall  '  grow 
*  as  the  iily,  and  cast  forth  his  roots  as  Lebanon^.* 


1  So  Bp.  Percy  ;  but  Mr.  Har-ner  interprets  it,  I  conceive 
Very  uiHi?.turaily,  as  the  Iraiguage  orjealousy  and  complaint, 
p.  63. 

2  See  Parkhursi'in  U'U^.  The  lotos,  which  resembles  this, 
flower  in  its  distinC^.ive  character  as  a  six-leaved  flower, 
was  certainly  a  sacred  emblem  in  Egypt  and  other  parts  oi 
the  eabt. 

'  IIos.  xiv.  5. 


i 


(     209     ) 

The  spouse  considers  herself  as  a  lily  hi  a  liaU 
ley  of  lilies^  &c.  that  is,  as  one  beaflty  among  a 
multitude  ;  but  the  bridegroom,  in  his  reply,  pla- 
ces her  above  competition  :  she  is  a  lily  among 
thorns^  and  excels  the  other  fair-ones  as  a  lily  doth 
the  thorns. 

Observe,  1.  Christ's  church  is  in  his  sight,  not 
only  supremely  excellent,  but  singularly  and  on- 
ly so — a  lily  among  thorns.      So  believers  are  the 

*  salt  of  the  earth — the  lirrlit  of  the  world — a  seed 

o 

'  to  serve  the  Lord  in  the  midst  of  a  crooked  and 

*  perverse  generation.' 

2.  A  lily  among  thorns  has  been  supposed  pro- 
perly to  represent  the  church  in  affli(Slion  and  temp- 
tations.    So  R.  Solomon  Jarghj,  '  As  the  lily 

*  among  thorns,   which  prick  it,   yet  stands  conti  - 

*  nually  in  its  beauty  ;   so  is  my  love  among  the 

*  daughters,  who  entice  her  to  follow  after  them^ 

*  and  go  a  whoring  after  other  gods,  but  yet  conti- 
nues in  her  religion^'  I  confess  this  sense  forced 
and  arbitrary  ;  yet  I  mention  it  because  it  agrees 
well  tVith  the  analogy  of  scripture  ;  for  the  inspi- 
red WTiters  frequently  speak  of  affliftions,  &c.  un- 
der the  image  of  thorns  ;  and  it  is  promised,  as 
one  of  the  felicities  of  the  future  state,  that '  there 
'-  shall  be  no  more  a  pricking  briar,  or  a  grieving 

*  thorn.' 

The    spouse   raises    her    beloved    also    above 

^  It  should  seem  as  if  this  celebrated  rabbin  understood 
the  compliment  from  Solomon  to  his  new  spouse,  as  a  re- 
fleclion  upon  his  other  -vvivcs,  who  enticed  c;svay  his  heart 
to  idols,  and  attempted  to  entice  her,  though  without  fuc- 
cess. 

Dd 


(     210     ) 

competition  and  comparison,  as  he  had  exalted 
her  :  and,  upon  this  occasion,  she  relates  the 
pleasure  and  delight  received  in  his  company  and 
conversation. 

The  tree  to  which  the  bride  compares  her  be- 
loved, is  commonly  understood  to  be  the  apple 
tree;  but  this  has  justly  been  called  in  question. 
The  Chaldee  paraphrase  renders  it  the  citron 
tree,  which  agrees  better  to  all  that  is  said  of  it 
in  scripture',  as  well  as  to  the  natural  history  of 
Judea;  since  the  eastern  apples  are  very  indiffer- 
ent, and  their  citrons  very  fine^.  As  much  then 
as  the  citron  tree  excels  the  vulgar  trees  of  the 
wood ' ,  so  much  does  the  beloved  all  other  men. 

This  image  is  pursued  in  the  subsequent  verse. 
Having  compared  her  beloved  to  a  tree,  she 
compares  the  enjoyment  of  his  company  to  sitting 
under  its  shadow,  and  eating  plentifully  of  its 
fruit '^. 


^  It  is  i^epresented  as  noble  and  delightful,  Joel  i.  12, 
Gold  coloured,  Prov.  xxv.  11.  and  very  iVajijrant  and  re- 
freshing. Cant.  vii.  8.  ii.  3,  5. — See  Harmcr's  Observa- 
tions, vol.  I.  chap.  iv.  obs.  31. 

2  Russel's  Nat.  Hist,  of  Aleppo,  p.  21. 

^  A  lofty  and  spreading  tree  is  a  favourite  image  with 
the  best  poets :  so  in  Ossian  :  '  I  was  a  lovely  tree  in  thy 
»  presence,  Cjscar,  with  all  my  branches  round  liie.'  (Bat- 
tle of  Lora.)  Compare  Ps.  cxxviii.  3. 

4  Entertainments  under  trees  are  common  in  the  east. 
Egmont  and  Heynian  drank  coffee  under  the  orange  trees  in 
the  garden  at  Mount  Sinai  ;  and  Dr.  Pococke  was  entertain- 
ed in  a  garden  at  Sidon,  under  the  shade  of  some  apricot 
trees,  and  the  fruit  ivas  shaken  upon  him.  See  Ilarmcr  on 
Sol.  Song,  p.  24S. 


(     211     ) 

In  our  application  of  these  words  to  the  heavenly 
bridegroom,  we  may  observe, 

1.  That  he  is  compared  to  a  tree^  So  tHe 
God  of  Israel  represents  himself  in  the  prophet— 
'  I  am  like  a  green  fir-tree',' — which  is  ever  fair 
and  flourishing. 

He   is  compared  to  a  large  and  shady  tree — 

*  in   (or  under)    his    shade    I  delighted   and    sat 

*  down.'  To  us  this  image  is  not  nearly  so  strik- 
ing and  beautiful  as  if  we  resided  in  the  east, 
M'here  the  heat  of  the  sun  is  more  intense,  and 
shade  in  travelling  much  less  frequent.  But  he, 
who  is  compared  to  '  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock 
'  in  a  weary  land,'  may  also,  no  less  fitly,  be 
compared  to  the  shadow  of  a  great  tree.  Jesus 
Christ  shades  the  believer  from  the  just  anger  of 
Deit}',  and  its  consequences  :  and  those  who  fa- 
tigue themselves  in  vain,  in  seeking  salvation  at 
the  foot  of  burning  Sinai,  may  find  rest  and  safe- 
ty under  the  shadow  of  his  cross ;  '  Come  unto 
'  me,  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and 
'I  will  give  you  rest.'  He  shades  them  from  the 
burning  sun  of  persecution,  or  public  calamity  : 
'  The  Lord  is  thy  shade  upon  thy  right  hand  ; 
'  the  sun  shall  not  smite  thee  by  day,  nor  the 
'  moon  by  night\' 

He  is  compared  to  2i  fruitful  tree — '  From  me,* 
says  the  Lord  to  his  people  Israel — '  From  me  is 
'  thy  fruit  found -^ .'     *  Wisdom  is  a  tree  of  life' — 

*  a  tree  that  beareth*twelvc  manner  of  fruits,'  and 
has   no   barren    season — always  blooming,    ever 

!•  4os.  xir.  8.  2  ps.  cxxi.  5,  6.  '  Hos.  xiv.  8. 


(^12) 

bearing  :  and  by  the  fruit  he  bears  may  be  under- 
stood either,   1.  His  conversation,  which  is-  the 

*  fruit  of  the  lips'.'  '  A  word  spoken  in  due 
'  season,  how  good  is  it  !' — When  Jesus  Christ 
was  upon  earth  his  words  were  admired  for  their 
sweetness,  and  authority  ;   '  Never  man  spake  like 

*  this  L-.an  !'  Now  he   is   in  heaven,  he   can  still 

*  speak  well  :' — he  can  '  speak  peace  to  them  that 

*  are  afar  off.'  His  words  are  '  as  citrons  of  gold 
'  in  baskets  of  silver.' 

2.  The  fruit  of  tills  tree  may  intend  the  graces 
of  the  Spirit,  which  are  communicated  from 
Christ — the  fruits  of  righteousness  and  holiness. 
These  are  the  fruits  expe61:ed  from  those  '  trees 

*  of  righteousness  which  the  Lord  hath  planted  ;' 
and  of  such,    he   says,    '  from   me   is  thy  fruit 

*  found.' 

Ver.  4 — 6. 

Spouse.    He  brought  me  into  the  house  of  wine, 
And  his  banner  over  me  was  love. 
'  Support  me  with  refreshments  ; 
'  Strew  citrons  round  me  ; 
'  For  I  am  sick  of  love.' 
His  left  hand  was  under  my  head, 
And  his  right  hand  embraced  me. 

In  these  verses,  the  imagery  is  dropped  or 
changed,  and  the  spous,e  relates  more  literally  the 
pleasure  she  had  recently  enjoyed  in  the  company 
of  her  beloved.      '  He  brought  5|^e  into  the  house 

*  of  wine.''  The  Persian  poet  Hafez  uses  this 
expression  for  an  eastern  tavern,  or  house  of 
entertainment ;  but  Solomon,  I  think,  for  a  wine 

1   Isa.  ivii.   19. 


(     213     ) 

cave,  or  cool  recess,  in  the  royal  gardens.   Whe^ 
ther  it  were  customary  with  the  Hebrews  to  dis? 
play  a  banner,  a  flag,  or  pendant,  (as  sometimes 
on  our  tents  and  summer  houses)   on  occasions  of 
festivity,  1  am  not   confident ;   but  it  seems  pro- 
bable from  the  next  words,  *  his  banner  over  me 
'  was  love  ;'  that  is,  was  inscribed  with  this  term, 
or  embroidered  vv"ith  figures  expressing  the  chaste 
enjoyments  and  afie6lions   of  the   nuptiiil   state  : 
though  some  commentators   are   of  opinion   the 
expression  only  intimates,   that  the  bridegroom 
conquered    merely   by    the    display   of  his  love. 
In  this  situation  she  confesses  herself  overcome, 
and  requests  to  be  supported  with  refreshments, 
and   exhilirated  with  fruits,  particularly   citrons^ 
remarkable,  it  skould  seem,  for  their  exhilirating 
quality. 

What  are  intended  by  the  first  term,  which  I 
have  rendered  refreshments^  the  translators  have 
been  much  at  a  loss  to  guess,  as  may  be  seen 
by  the   variety  of  versions  in  the  margin'.     Mr. 


1  mu'^U'N — In  floribus.]  In  ungueutes,  (:v  (^.vcon)  LXX. 
sic  Arab. — Pltiali.s  vitreis.  Pagn. — '.agenis  istis.,  Jun.  £>c  Tr. 
Pise. — lagenis,  Merc,  sic  Mont.  CastaL  Arab.  8cc. — sive, 
<vas!s,  Vatab.  Munst.  sub.  vini.,  Vatab.  Merc.  Arab,  sim- 
Muns.  vini  optimi ;  ut  fieri  solet  ro/y  A£;7ro^y/,wr3-;,  Grot. — 
Poll  Syn.  Crit.  in  loc. 

The  English  translators  agree  no  better.  Cranmer,  and 
the  Bishops  Bible,  term  it  cups  ;  Covcrdale  and  Matthews, 
grapes  ;  the  Doway  version,  Jlotvers  ;  our  common  version 
is  Jiaggons;  and  Mr,  Harmer  understands  it  of  the  skins  of 
gourds,  used  as  vasssls  for  wine.  The  LXX  and  Vulgate 
use  in  different  places  diffei'ent  words,  signifying  cakes, 
tmguents  and  lees  of  wine.  The  word  itself,  Dliy^iyN,  is 
allowed  to  be  derived  from  u>x  fire  in  a  reduplicate  form. 

The  root  (13T)  is  to  spread  a  carpet,  to  strevj  round,  as 
jfruit  from  a  tree. — Parkhurst. 


(     214     )  > 

P  A  K  K  HURST  ( following  tlic  derivation  of  the  word 
from  fire)  renders  it  confcctionarics — things  baked 
OY  prepared  by  fire  :  but  might  he  not  v.  ith  equal 
propriety  have  referred  to  some  cordials  or  simple 
"waters  distilled  by  fire  ?  or  even  to  wine  in  baked 
earthen  vessels  ? — In  this  great  uncertainty,  I 
have  preferred  the  most  general  term  I  could  find 
— refreshments.  The  other  member  of  the  sen- 
tence, '  Strew  citrons  round  me,'  is  literally  ren- 
dered, and  presents  us  with  the  image  of  a  per- 
son seated  upon  a  carpet  (as  is  the  eastern  cus- 
tom) and  surrounded  v.ith  fruit  and  other  delica- 
cies. 

The  application  of  these  verses  to  a  chaste  and 
spiritual  mind  is  easy.  We  need  not  seek  far  for 
V;  hat  is  intended  by  the  banqueting  house ^  or  wine 
cave'.  Free  and  intimate  communion  with  God 
in  holy  exercises  is  a   banquet  to  the  soul ;   and 

1  Wc  have  observed  in  the  preliminary  essay,  (p.  95,  Sec.) 
from  the  highest  authorities,  that  these  images  are  allego- 
rically  employed  by  the  Persian  poets,  particularly  Eajiz, 
'  jvv-c'oidingiy  to  the  mystical  vocabularies  [or  rather  com- 
''  mtntaries]  on  Hufiz,  by  nvine  the  poet  invariably  means 
-'■  devotion;  by  the  breeze,  an  illapse  of  grace  ;  hj  perfume, 
■"•  the  hope  of  the  divine  favour  ;  by  the  tavern  or  banquet- 
'-■  house,  a  retired  oratory  ;  by  its  keeper,  a  sage  instru6lor; 
"  by  beauty,  the  perfeeiion  of  the  supreme  Being  ;  and  by 
"  nvantonness,  mirth,  and  inebriety,  religious  ardour,  and 
'•  disregard  of  all  terrestrial  thoughts  and  objects,"  Hind^ 
I'y's  Persian  Lyrics,  p.  29, 

I  may  add,  from  another  writer,  that  the  most  respe6lable 
commentators  '  assert  the  koranic  principles  of  Hafez.' 
I'eridoun  attempts  to  prove  '  that  even  his  most  luxuriant 
'  verses  -re  but  so  many  religious  allegories  ;'  and  so  pre- 
valent is  this  opinion  that  the  language  of  Hafez  has  been 
stiled  among  the  Mussulmans,  Lessan  Gaib,  or  the  lan- 
guage of  mystery.  NutV%  account  of  Hafez,  prefixed  to 
)iis  select  ocles,  p.  x. 


(     21^     ) 

the  place  where  this  is  enjoyed,  a  banqueting 
house.  In  this  view  the  temple  was  such  to  the 
pious  Jews,  where  the  sacri^ces  were  considered 
as  a  feast,  and  the  wine  poured  out  as  the  wine 
of  a  banquet,  whereby  the  heart,  both  of  God 
and  man,  was  gladdened. 

'  How  excellent  is  thy  loving  kindness,  O  God  ! 

'  Therefore  the  children  of  men  put  tlieir  trust  under  the 

•  shadow  of  thy  Avings. 
'  They  shall  be  abundantly  satisfied  with  the  f-itncss  of  thy 

'  house ; 
*  And  thou  shalt   make  them  drink   of  the    river   of  thy 

'  pleasures  1.' 

The  blessings  of  the  gospel  are  promised  un- 
der the  same  image,  and  the  communion  with 
God  vouchsafed  in  his  house,  is  a  feast,  or  ban- 
quet, under  every  dispensation. 

<  In  this  mountain  shall  the  Lord  of  Hosts  make  unto  all 

'  people 

<  A  feast  of  fat  things  ; 

'  A  feast  of  wines  on  the  lees  ; 
'  Of  fat  things  full  of  marrow  ; 
'  Of  wines  on  the  lees  well  refined^.' 

Agreeable  to  the  same  imagery,  all  the  provi- 
sions of  the  gospel  are  represented  under  the 
idea  of  a  feast — a  marriage  feast,  at  which  we 
know  that  plenty  of  wine  was  always  an  essential 
article  ^ . 

When  the  queen  of  Sheba  was  brought  into 
the  court  of  Solomon,  and  saw  all  his  glory,  and 
heard  his  wisdom,  we  are  told  that  '  there  was 


^   Ps.  xxxvi.  8.  *   Is.  XXV.  6. 

»  Matt.  xxii.  2.     See  John  ii.  3.  8cc. 


(     21G     ) 

*  no  more  Spirit  in  her  :'  she  was  overcome  with 
admiration  and  astonishment.  Such  is  the  state 
of  a  believer's  mind,  favoured  with  intimate  com- 
munion with  his  God,  and  with  eminent  disco- 
veries of  his  glory.  Thus  it  was  with  David ^ 
when  he  '  rejoiced  with  great  joy  on  occasion  of 
'  the  people's  offering  willingly  for  the  temple  ;' 
and  he  said,   '■  Now  therefore  our  God,  we  thank 

*  thee,  and  praise  thy  glorious  name.     But  who 

*  am  I,  and  what  is  my  people,  that  we   should 

*  be  able  to  offer  so  willingly  after  this  sort  ?  for 
'  all  things  come  of  thee,  and  of  thine  own  have 
'we  given  thee\'  And,  when  he  reviewed  the 
divine  condu6l  toward  him  on  another  occasion, 
overwhelmed  with  gratitude,  he  exclaimed,  "  and 
*'  is  this  the  manner  of  man,  O  Lord  God^  !" 

So  whe^i  at  a  distance  from  the  house  of  God 
and  means  of  grace,  with  what  pleasure  does  he 
recollect  his  former  enjoyments,  and  with  what 
anxiety  pant  for  their  return  ! 

'  O  God,  thou  art  my  God  ;  early  will  I  seek  thee  : 

'  My  soul  thirsteth  for  thee  ; 

'  My  flesh  iongeth  for  thee  ; 

'  In  a  dry  and  thirsty  land,  where  no  v/ater  is  ; 

'  To  see  thy  power  and  thy  glory, 

'  So  as  I  have  seen  thee  in  the  santluary  :  i 

'  Because  thy  loving  kindness  is  better  than  life 

'  My  lips  shall  praise  thee^^.' 

To  the  experience  of  David  we  might  add 
that  of  Isaiah,  of  Paul,  of  John  the  Divine,  and 
others. — Nor    is   it   in  scripture  only  that  such 


1    1  Chron.  xxix.  m,  14.  2  Sam.  vlk  19. 

'  Ps.  ixiii.  1,  Sec. 


(     217     ) 

sublime  expressions  of  devotion  are  to  be  itiet 
with :  there  are  several  instances,  both  in  the 
martyrology,  and  in  authentic  religious  biogra- 
phy. It  is  enough  to  mention  the  names  of  Fe- 
nelon,  Boyle,  Watts,  Col.  Gardiner,  and  Mrs; 
Rowe ;  in  whose  experience  we  meet  with  ex- 
amples of  that  rapturous  devotion  which  has  at 
times  overcome  the  mortal  frame,  and  led  them 
to  say  with  Paul,  in  another  case — '  Whether  in 
'  the  body,  or  out  of  the  body,  I  cannot  tell— ^ 

*  God  knoweth.' 

In  such  a  frame  of  mjnd  we  suppose  the  spouse 
to  have  confessed  herself  ^kA* — faint,  or  wounded 
with  love  '  :  completely  conquered  by  the  display 
of  his  tenderness  and  affe^lion,  when  his  '  banner 

*  over  her  was  love  :'  which  expression  is  very  pro- 
perly thus  expounded   by  an   old  writer.      '  The 

*  banner  of  our  Lord  is  his  love,  which  he  hath 
'  publicly  declared   to  us,  that  he  might  draw  us 

*  to  himself:   by  which  also,  when  we  are  come 

*  to   him,  he  retains  us  with  him  ;   and  streiigth- 

*  ens  us  with  the  same  when  we  fight  against  our 

*  spiritual   enemies.     And    that  we   may  always 

*  look  upon  it,  he  carries  it  over  us  ;   that  is,  ren- 

*  ders  his  love  mostfamiliar  to  us.    He  that  knows 

*  not  this  banner,  can  be  none  of  his  soldier  ;   and 

*  he  that  deserts  it  is  undone,  unless  he  presently 

*  return  to  it.  So  that  as  the  Roman  legions  had 
'  their  several  names  (the  pious,  the  faithful,  &c.) 

*  in  like  manner  this  may  be  called  afnoris  legio^ 

*  the  legion  of  love  ^' 

*   Tilou^ivyi  oc-yxnTtiis   LXX.   Amore  languo.     VuIgatCj 
^  Dalhenuii  in  Patrick. 

E  e 


(     218     ) 

In  this  situation  the  spouse  fell  into  the  arms  of 
her  beloved,  where  she  found  tenderness,  sup- 
port, relief.  His  left  hand  was  under  her  head, 
and  his  right  hand  embraced  her.  He  supported 
her  Avith  cordials,  wine  and  fruits.  It  is  not  here 
necessary  to  descend  to  particulars.  Whatever 
be  the  believer's  Mants,  he  may  find  a  rich  sup- 
ply in  the  gospel,  administered  by  the  tender  hand 
of  that  Saviour,  w  ho  is  '  touched  w  ith  the  feeling 

*  of  our  infirmities  ;'   who  knows  how  to  speak 

*  a  word  in  season'  to  him  that '  is  faint  or  weary;* 
who  giveth  '  strong  drink  unto  him  that  is  ready 

*  to  perish ;  and  wine  to  those  that  be  of  heavy 
'  hearts.* 

Verse  7. 

Bridegroom.  I  adjure  you,  O  daughters  of  Jerusalem, 

Before  the    antelopes,  and  before  the  hinds  of 

the  field, 
That  ye  disturb  not,  nor  awake 
This  lovely  one,  until  she  please. 

As  this  verse,  with  little  variation,  occurs  in 
two  other  places,  it  may  be  considered  as  a  kind 
of  chorus  ;  but  whether  it  be  spoken  in  the  per- 
son of  the  bridegroom,  or  the  bride,  is  doubtful. 
In  the  other  passages,  these  words  appear  to  be 
uttered  by  the  spouse,  notwithstanding  the  con- 
struction of  the  original^   would  lead  us  to  refer 


1  Both  the  noun  Ahabah,  nirtK,  love^  and  the  verb  Tech- 
patz^  1>snn,  until  she  please,  are  feminine  ;  and  it  is  re- 
markable that  the  term  for  love  is  here  of  a  different  root 
from  that  which  is  applied  to  the  bridegroom,  Dodi,  ^Tin, 
my  beloved,  and  the  same  that  is  given  to  the  spouse  in 
chap.  vii.  6.  My  version  is  nearly  that  of  Michaclis  in  Bp. 
I.owth,  who  supposes  a  mistake  in  the  Masoretic  pun6\ua- 
tion. 


(     219     ) 

them  to  the  beloved  ;  but  in  the  present  instance 
the  stridl  grammatical  sense  seems  the  most  na- 
tural. Still,  in  one  respe6l,  the  verse  may  be 
considered  as  the  language  of  the  spouse,  repeat- 
ing what  her  beloved  had  said  ;  that  is,  she  relates 
that  her  Lord  embraced  her,  and  while  she  rested 
on  his  bosom,  he  hushed  the  virgins  her  compa. 
nions,  which  may  be  supposed  in  waiting  :  — 
'  Disturb  not  my  love  until  she  please.'  In  the 
version,  however,  I  have  endeavoured  to  pre- 
serve the  ambiguity  of  the  original,  as  a  transla- 
tor cannot  be  too  faithful. 

The  other  difficulty  is  kept  out  of  sight  in  the 
common  version,  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  original  properly  means,  '  I  adjure  you,' — 
I  charge  you  upo?j  oath — that  ye  disturb  not  my 
love,  &c.  But  how  shall  we  reconcile  this  with 
the  law  of  Moses,  and  the  manners  of  the  He- 
brews, who  were  striclly  forbidden  to  swear  by 
any  name  except  Jehovah  ?  I  know  that  com- 
mentators and  critics  have  not  been  unfruitful  in 
evasions  ;  but  they  are,  in  general,  so  futile  that 
I  think  them  not  worth  reciting ;  and  would 
sooner  at  once  confess  my  inability  to  untie  the 
knot,  than  thus  violently  cut  it.  There  is  one 
circumstance,  however,  which  may  throw  consi- 
derable light  upon  the  expression. 

Notwithstanding  the  Jews  were  commanded 
to  swear  only  by  the  incommunicable  name,  they 
were  admitted  to  call  in  witnesses  to  their  oath, 
and  in  the  want  of  others,  the  animals  of  the  field 
were  judged  sufficient,  or  perhaps  preferred.     A 


{     220     ) 

remarkable  instance  of  this  occurs  in  the  history 
of  Abraham  and  Abimelech.  After  swearing  an 
oath  of  fidelity,  and  making  the  usual  presents 
on   such   occasioris — '  Abraham    set    seven    ewe 

*  lambs  of  the  flock  b}'  themselves.  And  Abime- 
'  lech  said  unto  Abraham,  What  mean  these  se- 

*  ven   ewe  lambs,  which  thou   hast  set  by  them- 

*  selves  ?  And  he  said,  These  seven  ewe  lambs 
*■  shalt  thou  take  of  my  hand,  that  they  may  be  a 

*  WITNESS  unto  me  that  I  have  digged  this  well '  .* 
The  same  custom,  it  appears,  is  continued  in 
the  cast  to  the  present  day  ;  and  points  out  the 
proper  use  of  these   '  antelopes  and  hinds  of  the 

*  field,'  as  witnesses  to  the  solemn  adjuration  in 
this  poem.  This  is  indeed  hinted  at  among  the 
s€"iicn  senses  enumerated  by  Dr.  Gill,  who  re- 
marks that  ^  sometimes  heaven  and  earth,  animate 

*  and  inanimate  creatures,  are  called  in  scripture** 


^  Gen.  xxi.  30,.  I  confess  myself  iiulcbtecl  to  the  inge- 
riovis  editor  of  Calmet  for  Ibis  passaf^e,  produced  for  a 
very  different  purpose  in  his  Fragments,  No.  LXIII.  (p. 
111.)  where  he  mentions  a  similar  covenant  betAveen  Mr. 
Bruce^  the  celebrated  traveller,  and  an  Arabian  shekh. 
To  account  for  the  introduclion  of  deer  instead  of  sheep, 
jL  is  only  necessary  to  suppose  that  the  former  might  be 
in  slgnt,  and  not  the  latter;  though  it  might  be  added, 
antelopes  and  hinds  are  some  of  the  finest  objects  of  poetic 
imagery. 

As  tf>  the  particle  Bfth  :i,  which  I  have  rendered  before 
instead  of  by,  I  think  I  have  at  least  kept  equally  to  its 
radical  idea — in,  which  ought  to  be  preserved  in  all  its 
various  renderings;  e.  g.  In — into — with//? — in  respe6\  of 

in  the  manner  of — in  opposition  to — in  connexion  with— 

in  the  midst  of — in  presence  of,  i.  e.  before,  which  I  con- 
ceive to  be  the  best  rendering  here,  and  in  some  other 
texts. 

"   ^.ee  Dcut.  xxrv.  19.     Josh.  xxiv.  27. 


(     221     ) 

to  bear  witness  to  solemn  charges  and  covenant 
engagements. 

The  improvement  of  this  difficult  verse  shall  be 
comprised  in  two  ideas. 

1.  That  true  love  deprecates  every  thing  cal- 
culated to  disturb  the  harmony,  or  injure  a  good 
understanding  between  the  parties.  Doth  Christ 
love  his  church  ?  Then  must  he  be  offended  at 
every  attempt  to  disturb  her  peace,  or  alienate 
her  affection  from  him. — Do  we  love  Christ  .'* 
Then  shall  we,  with  pious  jealousy,  guard  against 
whatever  has  a  tendency  to  dishonour  his  name, 
to  grieve  his  Spirit,  or  offend  his  love. 

'  I  charge  my  sins  not  once  to  move, 

*  Nor  stir,  nor  wake,  nor  grieve  my  love.' 

WATTS. 

2.  The  whole  creation  wdtnesseth  for  God 
against  apostates.  If  after  engaging  ourselves  by 
covenant  to  be  the  Lord's,  and  professing  to  be 
his  disciples,  we  turn  our  backs  upon  religion, 
and  renounce  his  service,  not  only  will  our  friends 
and  neighbours,  our  children  and  servants,  bear 
witness  against  us,  but  the  very  animals  who  saw 
pur  former  professions  and  devotions,  will  rise 
up  against  us  in  judgment.  Yea,  the  very  tim- 
ber and  stones  of  our  dwelling  will  witness  against 
us,  i[  we  deny  our  God\ 

1  Josh.  xxiv.  27, 


(     222     ) 
SECTION  IF. 

Chap.  II.  vcr.  8,  9. 

Spouse.    The  vt/ice  of  my  beloved  !  behold  he  comcth, 

Lcapini^  on  tlic   mountains,  bounding;  on  the  hills. 

My  beloved  resembles  an  antelope,  or  a  young  hart. 

Behold  him  standing  behind  our  wall  ; 

Looking  through  the  windows. 

Displaying  himself  through  the  lattice  wsrk. 

THESE  verses  open  a  n^w  scene,  and,  ac- 
cording to  many  expositors,  a  new  day.  But  as 
repose  is  very  customary  in  warm  countries  in  the 
middle  of  the  day,  I  am  not  certain  but  this  may 
refer  to  the  afternoon  or  evening,  especially  as 
there  is  nothing  in  the  description  which  particu- 
larly marks  the  morning. 

Dr.  Gill  connects  this  se61ion  with  the  for- 
mer in  this  manner :  he  supposes  the  spouse  to 
have  heard  the  beloved  give  a  tender  charge  to 
the  virgins  not  to  disturb  her,  and  that  thereupon: 
she  arises  and  exclaims,  '  Behold  !  it  is  the  voice 
*  of  my  beloved  !'  To  me,  however,  this  ap- 
pears unnatural  and  absurd,  because  here  she  sees 
him  at  a  distance  '  leaping  on  the  mountains,  and 
^  bounding  upon  the  hills.' 

Another  critic  supposes  '  the  voice  of  the  bride- 
'  groom'  to  be  the  sound  of  the  music  which  at- 
tended him  ;  and  I  conceive  such  an  allusion  not 
improbable;  and  that  in  verse  10,  the  chorus  is 
introduced  :  '  Arise,  my  consort,  and  come  away!' 

The  imagery  is  here  so  easy  and  beautiful  as 
to  require  little  illustration.  The  beloved  is  seen 
first  at  a  distance  hastening  to  his  love,  with  the 


(     ^23     ) 

speed  of  an  antelope  or  a  young  hart'— then  he 
stops  behind  the  green  wall  of  the  garden — or 
shews  himself,  in  his  bridal  dress,  through  the 
lattices  of  the  choisk^ — and  here  invites  her  to 
enjoy  with  him  the  opening  charms  of  summer, 
of  which  Mr.  Harmer  has  shewn  the  following 
verses  to  be  an  accurate  description  ;  and  that 
they  mark  the  time  to  be  about  the  end  of  April, 
which  answers  to  June  in  our  climate. 

Little  difficulty  occurring  in  the  literal  sense  of 
this  section,  we  apply  immediately  to  the  allegory, 
and  enquire, 

1.  Why  is  the  heavenly  bridegroom  compared 
to  the  antelope  or  the  young  hart  ?  I  reply,  not 
only  on  account  of  the  beauty  of  those  amiable 
creatures,  but  chiefly  for  their  swiftness,  as  inti- 
mating the  alacrity  with  which  the  Messiah  came, 
in  the  first  instance,  for  our  redemption ;  and 
the  readiness  with  which  he  still  flics,  in  the  hour 
of  distress  for  our  relief.  Even  in  the  painful 
work  of  redemption,  with  what  cheerfulness  did 
he  undertake,  and  with  what  willingness  did  he 
suffer  !   *  Lo  !  I  come,'  saith  he,  '  to  do  thy  will, 


^  That  the  Hebrew  Zabi  0^^)  intends  the  antelope  or 
gazelle,  is  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Shaw,  Buffon,  and  Sir  U\ 
Jones :  and  certain  it  is,  this  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
animals  in  creation.  In  this  place  the  LXX  add,  '  On 
<  the  mountains  of  Bethel.'  But  this  seems  both  unneces- 
sary and  unintelligible. 

'  Displaying  himself  [y>i'?2]  literally  Jlotvering  through 
the  lattice  work  :  an  allusion  to  flowers  which  penetrate 
the  open  work  of  lattice  windows,  and  bloom  on  the  other 
side.  Such  a  circumstance  was  noticed  with  admiration 
by  Mr.  Stewarty  in  his  journey  to  Mequinez,  quoted  by 
Mr.  Harmer. 


(     224     ) 

*  O  my  God,'  though  he  knew  that  will  required 
that  he  should  sacrifice  his  life.  And  after  he 
had   assumed  human  nature,  and  began  to  be  '  a 

*  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief,'  he 
cries,  '  I  have  a  baptism  to  be  baptized  with,' 
alluding  to  his  sufferings,  '  and  how  am  I  strait- 
'  ened  until  it  be  accomplished  !' 

Nor  is  the  Saviour  less  ready,  now  he  is  exalt- 
ed to  power  anrl  to  glory,  to  fly  to  the  salvation 
of  his  people.  How  often  hath  his  church  in  the 
most  perilous  circumstances  experienced  his  de- 
livering hand  !  And  how  often  have  we  as  indivi- 
duals found  him  to  be  '  a  very  present  help  in 

*  time  of  trouble  !' 

2.  Our  next  observation  relates  to  the  gradual 
manner  in  which  the  beloved  discovers  himself 
— upon  the  hills — behind  the  wall — and  through 
the  windows  of  the  choisk.  Commentators  ap- 
ply this  to  the  gradual  discoveries  of  Messiah  un- 
der the   Old  Testament,    which    was   like   '  the 

*  shining  light  which  shineth  more  and  more  un- 

*  to  the  perfe6l  day.'  In  the  antediluvian  ages  he 
appeared  as  on  the  distant  mountains,  shrouded 
with  a  morning  cloud  ;  by  the  revelations  made  to 
Abraham  and  his  family,  he  drew  nearer,  and 
was  more  distinctly  seen  ;  but  in  the  types  and 
emblems  of  the  Mosaic  oeconomy  he  displayed 
himself  Mith  great  beauty,  and  in  great  glory. 
Under  this  dispensation  lived  the  writer  of  this 
poem.  We  know  that  he  saw  the  Redeemer's 
glory,  and  spake  of  him,  not  only  in  this  song  but 
in  some  of  the  psalms,  and,  as  they  are  commonly 


(     225     ) 

understood,    in    several    chaptei's    of   the   Pro- 
verbs. 

This  dispensation  introduced  the  gospel,  in 
which  the  voice  of  the  Redeemer  calls  up  his 
church  to  arise  and  enjoy  its  privileges.  Thus 
he  speaks : 

Chap.  II.  Ver.  10—12. 
Bridegroom.  <■  Arise  I    my   consort,  my  beauty,    and  comft 
'  away, 
'  For,  behold  !  the  winter  ^  is  past  ; 
'  The  rain  is  over — is  gone. 

*  The  flowers  appear  upon  th6  earth  i 

*  The  time  ol  the  singing2  [of  birds]  is  come  : 
'  The  voice  of  the    turtle  dove  is  heard  in  our 

*  land  : 

*  The  fig-tree  ripeneth  her  green  figs  : 

'  The  vines,   [with]    their   tender   buds^  yield 

'  fragrancy  : 
'  Arise  1    my    consort,  my   beauty,  and  come 

'  away.' 


»  '  Winter.'  The  word  IDD,  used  only  in  this  place,  is 
generally  considered  us  a  Chaldee  word,  and  the  Jewish 
critics  draw  a  mystery  from  it,  on  the  supposition  of  its 
tefcrring  to  the  Babylonian  captivity.  But  Mr.  Parkhurst 
derives  it  from  the  Hebrew  nn,  to  stir,  distiub,  q.  d.  The 
disturbed  season ;  and  observes  from  Nicbuhr.,  that  the 
Arabs  call  their  winter  Schitte. 

2  <  Time  of  singing,'  "i^n^rr.  So  R.  Sol.  Jarchi,  Aheii 
Ezra,  and  other  Jewish,  .with  most  Christian  writers.  But 
the  LXX  read  '  The  time,  rris  to/xw,  of  cutting,'  /.  e.  prun- 
ing vines,  which  it  is  admitted  the  word  may  signify,  and 
which  agrees  well  enough  with  the  season.  The  former 
sense,  however,  I  have  preferred  as  most  poetical,  and 
consonant  to  the  other  images. 

3  '  Tender  buds.'  Our  translators  read  grapes,  but  this 
is  carrying  the  season  too  far.  Dr.  Gill  says  imadar,  -nno, 
signifies  to  Jlonver.  So  Symmachus  renders  it  here  by 
oivavSv),  the  vine  blossom,  and  the  Vulgate  hy  Jiorantes :  The 
LXX,  hov/ever,  render  it,  y.vTTfi'(uv,  to  bud  ;  and  in  chap, 
vii.  12.  by  wn^iai/.os,  a  bud — the  budding  of  a  flower,  which 
agrees  exa£lly  with  the  marks  of  the  season — for  the  vines 
and  roses  bud  and  blow  very  nearly  at  the  same  period. 
Both  eastern  vines  and  roses,  when  in  bloom,  are  extreme- 
ly fragrant.     See  Harmer  on  Sol.  Song,  p.  138,   139. 

Ff 


(     226     ) 

In  examining  the  literal  sense  of  this  passag-c, 
we  must  be  struck  with  the  beautiful  description 
of  an  eastern  spring  :  one  circumstance  only  re- 
quiring an  illucidatory  remark  ;  namely,  that  in 
Judea,  and  the  neighbouring  countries,  the  rains 
are  periodical,  and  when  the  spring-rains  are 
over,  which  is  about  the  end  of  April,  a  succes- 
sion of  line  weather  follows,  without  those  chan- 
ges to  which  we  are  subje^l. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  if  this  passage  be  alle- 
gorized, it  must  be  referred  to  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation compared  to  the  spring',  in  which  I 
hope  we  may  be  allowed  to  trace  the  following 
resemblances. 

1.  The  spring  is  preceded  by  the  winter  :  so 
the  times  of  the  gospel  were  preceded  by  ages 
dark,  barren,  and  tempestuous,  especially  in  the 
heathen   world.      The   apostle    Paul    calls   them 

*  times  of  ignorance,'  and  it  is  very  evident  they 
were  times  of  great  wickedness.     They  '  sat  in 

*  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  death.', 

2.  The  spring  is  a  season  of  fruitfulness.  Now 
the  flowers  blossom,  the  figs  gather  sweetness, 
and  the  vines  yield  fragrancy  ;  so,  under  the  gos- 
pel, those  nations  who  in  time  past  were  barren 

1  So  Tht'odorei,  and  the  Christian  commentators  in  ge- 
neral ;  and  not  these  only,  but  certain  of  the  Jewish  Avrl- 
ters,  as  quoted  by  Bp.  Patrick.  Benjamin  Tudelensis,  for  in- 
stance, in  the  conclusion  of  bis  Itinerary,  expressly  ap- 
plies these  words  to  the  coming  of  Messiah  ;  donfessing 
that  Israel  '  cannot  be  gathered  to  their  own  land  till  the 

*  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  come,  and  the  voice  of  the 
«  turtle  ;  and  till  they  come  who  preach  glad  tidings,  say- 

*  ing  alway,— The  Lord  be  praised  1' 


(    ^27     )) 

and  unfruitful,  have  become  fruitful  in  every 
2-ood  word  and  work  :   And  individuals  who  be- 

o 

fore  conversion  are  barren  toward  God,  or  bring 
forth  none  but  the  wild  and  poisonous  fruits  of 
nature,  when  quickened  by  the  grace  of  God, 
*'  bring  forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance  ;"  fruits 
of  righteousness,  and  holiness,  and  peace.     '  For 

*  as  the  earth  bringeth  forth  her  bud,  and  as  the 

*  garden  causeth  the  things  that  are  sown  in  it  to 

*  spring  forth  :   so  the  Lord  God  will  cause  righ- 

*  teousness  and  praise  to  spring  forth  before  all 

*  people'.' 

3.  The  spring  is  a  season  of  love  and  joy, 
both  which  ideas  are  expressed  by  the  voice  of 
the  turtle  and  the  singing  of  birds''.  So  the  gos- 
pel is  a  dispensation  of*  love  and  joy.  What  is 
the'  gospel  message  but  a  display  of  the  love  of 
God  to  sinners  ?  What,  but  love,  is  the  princi- 
ple of  gospel  holiness  ?  God's  love  is  the  argu^ 
ment,  not  only  of  our  love  to  him,  but  to  one 
another  :  just  as  the  love  of  a  tender  father  is  not 
only  a  ground  of  gratitude  from  the  children,  but 
of  mutual  love  between  each  other. 

1  Isa.  Ixj.  11. 

2  The  eastern  poets  feign  the  nightingale  to  be  in  love 
"vvith  the  rose,  because  they  both  appear  together  in  the 
spring.      So  Hafez  :  '  The  beauty  of  the  age  of  youth  re- 

*  turns  again  to  the  meads  ;  joyful  tidings  from  the  rose 
'  arrive  to  the  nightingale  of  the  sweet  songs.'  Sadi  reck- 
ons the  nightingale  as  the  herald  of  the  spring  :  '  Bring, 
O  nightingale,  the  tidings  of  spring  ;  leave  all  unpleasant 
'  news  to  the  ©wl.'  The  author  of  Bahur  Danush  joins 
'  the  strain  of  the  bulbul,'  (or  eastern  nightingale)  with 
'  the  cooing  of  the  turtle  dove.' 

^Qnes'i  Pers,  Grara^  p.  19.  Bahur  Danush,  vol.  III.  p.  180. 


(     228     ) 

The  gospel  is  also  a  dispensation  of  joy.  There 
is  joy  in  heaven  over  every  repenting  sinner ; 
and  there  is  jo)^  also  in  the  church  of  God,  over 
every  addition  to  their  number.  But  especially 
is  there  joy  in  the  heart  of  every  converted  sin- 
ner, so  soon  as  he  is  assured  of  his  interest  in 
evangelical  blessings. 

4.  The  spring  is  a  kind  of  resurreftion  of  na- 
ture, which  appears  as  if  dead  during  great  part 
of  the  winter  season  :  but  in  spring  the  flowers, 
the  trees,  and  the  herbage  are  all  renovated,  as 
by  a  new  creation.  We  have  observed  above, 
that  the  gospel  found  the  world,  as  it  finds  every 
individual,  in  a  state  of  barrenness  and  death. — 
Men  are  by  nature  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins, 
until  a  living  principle  of  faith  is  by  grace  im- 
planted in  their  hearts. 

5.  The  causes  and  progress  of  this  renewal  ia 
nature  and  grace,  are  strikingly  analogous. 

Winter,  it  is  well  known,  is  brought  on  chiefly 
by  a  change  of  the  relative  position  of  the  earth 
and  the  sun.  It  is  not  that  the  sun  is  really  weak- 
er in  itself,  but  from  this  change  of  position  its 
rays  falling  obliquely  upon  the  globe,  are  weak- 
ened in  their  effect ;  the  earth  gets  gradually 
cooler,  and  the  long  nights  and  short  days,  greatly 
contribute  as  well  to  the  coldness,  as  the  gloomi- 
ness of  winter.  So  it  is  in  the  other  case.  The 
Sun  of  righteousness  is  eternally  the  same.  His 
glory  and  his  strength  admit  of  no  diminution. 
But  the  fall  has  so  placed  us,  that,  in  our  natural 
'  state  we  receive  not  the  dire6l  beams  of  his  grace; 
but  only,  if  I  may  so  speak,  the   oblique  bles= 


(     229     ) 

ijings  of    his  providence.     When  "  the  Sun  of 
*'  righteousness  ariseth  with  healing  in  his  beams^^'' 
then  the  spiritual  spring  commences,  and  the  new- 
creation   smiles.     These  changes,  however,  both 
in  nature  and  in  grace  are  gradual.     We  are  not 
instantaneously  plunged  into  the  cold  and  dark- 
ness of  winter ;  neither  are  we  all  at  once  warm- 
ed and  dazzled  with  the  strength  of  a  midsummer 
sun.     It  is  a  mercy  that  we  are  not ;   and  strongly 
marks  the   wisdom  and  the  goodness   of  divine 
Providence.     But  as  the  days  are  lengthened,  and 
our  part  of  the  globe  gradually  falls  more  dire6lly 
under  the  solar  rays,  the  earth  gets  warmer,  the 
sap  is  drawn  upwards  in  the  plants  and  trees,  atid 
the  earth  assumes  the  gay  and  splendid  livery  of 
spring.     So  in  the  great  seas  toward  the  poles,  as 
the  sun  gathers  strength  in  becoming  more  ver- 
ticle  in  those  parts,  the  prodigious  masses  of  ice 
in  those   seas  melt  away ;   mountain  after  moun- 
tain breaks,  dissolves,  and  swells  the  tides,  and 
overflows  the  boundaries  of  the  ocean. 

Thus  gradual  also  are  the  effe6ls  of  the  beams 
of  our  spiritual  Sun,  both  on  the  church  at  large 
and  on  its  individual  members.  When  a  revival 
takes  place  in  the  church,  it  begins  in  one  family, 
or  in  one  congregation  ;  it  spreads  to  another  and 
another — from  parish  to  parish — from  city  to  city 
— from  village  to  village — till  it  covers  a  whole 
province,  or  a  country.  Religion,  when  it  pros- 
pers, kindles  and  spreads  like  the  flame  in  a  forest, 
from  tree  to  tree,  and  from  bush  to  bush,  till 
the  whole  wood  becomes  one  universal  conflagra- 


(     230     ) 

tion.     '  Behold,'    in    this   sense,    *  how   great  a 
*  matter  a  little  fire  kindleth  !' 

Equally  gradual  is  its  progress  in  an  individual. 
The  mountains  are  levelled,  and  the  valleys  are 
exalted.  Like  the  ices  at  the  poles,  first  one  lust, 
or  one  vice  is  broken  off,  or  melted  down,  and 
then  another,  till  the  whole  man  is  changed,  and 
becomes  altogether  a  new  creature. 

It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  there  is 
no  rule  without  exceptions.  Sometimes  a  warm 
day  bursts  on  us  at  once,  almost  in  the  midst  of 
winter :  thus,  in  some  instances,  the  change 
wrought  in  conversion  is  so  sudden,  and  so  great, 
as  to  challenge  the  admiration  of  all  around, 
and  they  are  ready  to  say,  as  of  the  blind  man 
restored — '  Is  this  he  that  was  born  blind  ?'— 
Is  this  he  that  vras  given  to  profaheness  and 
all  uncleanness  ? — Or  with  the  wicked  pro- 
phet in  his  parable — '  Lo !  What  hath  God 
^  wrouQ-ht !' 


o 


Again,  the  return  of  spring,  at  least  in  this 
country,  is  often  checked  by  intervals  of  severe, 
inclem.ent  weather ;  and  the  more  so  when  the 
season  is  earlier  than  usual.  When,  as  we  said, 
summer  appears  coming  on  us  at  once  :  vegeta- 
tion is  pushed  forward  by  the  genial  warmth, 
the  trees  bud,  and  perhaps  blossom,  when  a  sud- 
den reverse  of  frost  takes  place,  nips  the  swell- 
ing buds,  and  withers  the  opening  blossoms.  So 
js  it  oftentimes  with  young  converts,  especially 
with  those  called  from  a  state  of  open  profaneness. 


(    231     ) 

The  change  is  so  obvious  and  so  great,  that  they 
appear  transported,  as  it  were,  to  another  cli- 
mate— to  another  world.  A  spiritual  summer  is 
come  suddenly  upon  them,  and  they  appear,  all 
holy  joy,  all  heavenly  love  :  but  in  a  little  while 
'  offences  arise  because  of  the  word.*  The  storms 
of  persecution,  or  the  blasts  of  temptation  nip 
the  opening  graces  of  the  Christian  life,  and  the 
promised  fruits  of  holiness. 

'  The  winter  is  past.' — The  Targusi  applies 
this  to  the  captivity  of  Israel  in  Egypt,  and  other 
writers  to  the  captivity  in  Babylon  ;  justly  con- 
ceiving that  a  state  of  captivity  and  bondage  is 
properly  represented  by  the  image  of  winter,  and 
tiic  restoration  of  liberty  and  peace  by  spring. 
This  applies  to  the  gospel  dispensation,  and  its 
blessings.  Men  are  by  nature  servants  of  sin, 
bond-slaves  of  Satan,  led  captive  by  him  at  his 
will.  The  voice  of  the  gospel  is  like  the  sound 
of  the  jubilee  trumpet,  the  proclamation  of  true 
liberty.  '  If  the  Son  make  ye  free,  then  shall  ye 
'  be  free  indeed.' 

*  The  flowers  appear.' — The  same  Jewish  com- 
mentators, who  consider  the  winter  as  a  state  of 
captivity  or  bondage,  explain  the  flowers  of  Mo- 
ses and  Aaron — of  the  Old  Testament  believers, 
and  of  the  Messiah  himself;  and  the  young  figs 
and  grapes  of  the  congregation  of  Israel :  and, 
without  following  Jewish  fancies,  or  Jewish  fa- 
bles, believers  may,  under  the  gospel  dispensa- 
tion, be  considered  as  a  kind  of  first  fruits  unto 


(     232     ) 

God — the  earnest  of  that  grand  harvest  which 
shall  be  gathered  by  the  angels,  in  the  end  of  the 
"world . 

Ver.  14. 

Bridegroom.  '  My  dove,  [who  art]  in  the  clefts  of  lh6  rock, 
'  In  the  secret  fissures  of  the  cliffs  ; 
»  Let  me  s^e  thy  countenance,  let  me  hear  th)*^ 

'  voice, 
'  For  sweet  is  thy  voice,  and  thy  countenancd 

'  is  comely.' 

The  spouse  is  compared  to  the  dove  for  her 
innocence,  affection,  and  fidelity,  of  which  this 
bird  is  the  established  emblem.  The  dove  is  in- 
nocent. '  Be  ye  harmless  as  doves,'  is  one  of 
the  precepts  of  the  Saviour  to  his  disciples,  who 
are  required  in  this,  as  well  as  in  other  respe6ls, 
to  imitate  their  Master,  who  was  '  holy,  harm- 
*  less,  undefiled,  and  separate  from  sinners.  The 
cleanliness,  the  purity,  and  the  modesty  of  these 
creatures  are  also  no  improper  circumstances  to 
describe  the  followers  of  the  Lamb — a  character 
very  similar  to  that  of  the  dove. 

The  dove  is  also  the  emblem  of  conjugal  affec- 
tion and  fidelity.  Constant  to  her  mate,  the  faith- 
ful bird  admits  no  other  partner  of  her  affeclions, 
and  is  inconsolable  in  his  loss ;  insomuch,  that 
to  "  mourn  like  the  widowed  dove,"  is  to  mourn 
and  grieve  indeed.  How  truly  is  this  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  sincere  believer — of  the  church  of 
Christ.  He  is  the  supreme  object  of  her  aife6lioii 
— "  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  thee  ?  and  there 
"  is  none  on  earth  that  I  desire  beside  thee  ?" 
Without  the  divine  presence  the  church  is  utterly 


f     233     ) 

inconsolable.     *  O  that  I  knew    where  I  mi^ht 

*  find  him!' — -She  enquires,  *  Have  ye  seen   my 

*  beloved  ?'   or,  apostrophizing  the    great   object 
of  her  regard,  '  Tell  me,  O  thou  whom  my  soul 

*  loveth,  where  thou  feedest !' 

In  the  present  instance,  however,  the  term 
may  be  rather  expressive  of  the  bridegroom's 
love   than  of  the  bride's.     '  My  love,  my  dove, 

*  my  undefiled,'  are  terms  of  the   strongest  ten- 
derness and  attachment. 

Eastern  doves  are  wont  to  hide  themselves  in 
the  clifts  and  caverns  of  rocks ' .  The  dove  is  a 
feeble,  timid,  and  defenceless  bird,  and  may  there- 
fore seek  to  hide  itself  in  such  recesses  from  the 
birds  of  prey,  and  from  the  storms  of  winter. 
And  how  often  has  this  been  the  case  with  the 
church  ?  How  often  has  she  been  glad  to  hide 
herself  in  woods  and  solitary  places,  yea  in  ca- 
verns and  in  clefts  of  the  rocks,  to  escape  the 
storms  of  persecution,  or  the  rage  of  persecutors? 
and  in  these  retirements  to  worship  God,  and  en- 
joy communion  with  him,  out  of  the  reach  of  the 
talons  of  the  persecutor.  Ah  !  ye  Waldenses — 
ye  Albigenses — ye  Piedmontese — -how  often  was 
this  your  case  ? — Yes,  and  ye  ancient  British 
nonconformists  (of  whom  the  world  was  not  wor* 
thy)  how  often  have  ye  retired  to  some  solitary 
cottage  in  the  wood,  or  in  the  forest — how  care- 
fully have  ye  closed  the  door — the  chimney,  and 
every  avenue  of  sound — that  the  listening  informer 

'  1  Harmer  on  Sol.  Song,  p.  254. 
G  g 


(      234     ) 

mip:ht  not  hear  ?  But  *  the  Lord  hearkened  and 
'  heard,  and  a  book  of  remembrance  was  written 
*  in  his  presence.' 

But  from  the  following  couplet  it  should  appear 
that  solitude  might  be  the  motive  of  retirement. 
The  church  is  compared  to  a  solitary  dove,  hid- 
ing among  the  rocks ;  and  therefore  her  Lord 
calls  upon  her  to  come  forth  from  her  solitude,  to 
shew  her  countenance  and  express  her  love.  This 
hint  will  afford  several  useful  refie6lions. 

1.  There  is  an  ill-timed  and  improper  solitude. 
In  the  primitive  church,  in  times  of  persecution, 
there  were  manv  who  had  not  the  courasje  to 
confess  Christ  boldly,  who  yet  dared  not  treache- 
rously renounce  him  ;  and  what  should  these  do  ? 
They  retired  into  solitude  ;  there  at  once  to  avoid 
their  enemies  and  enjoy  their  God.  This  was 
the  origin  of  the  hermetic  life,  which  was  af- 
terward carried  to  excess ;  and  weak,  though 
sincere,  Christians,  fled  from  the  standard  of 
the  cross,  though  they  loved  and  would  not  re- 
nounce it.  But  there  were  others  more  noble 
than  these,  who  were  not  ashamed  nor  afraid 
to  avow  their  attachment  to  their  crucified  Re- 
deemer before  kings.  The  one  '  sought  to  avail 
themselves  of  their  Lord'"s  permission,  when 
persecuted  in  one  city  to  flee  to  another  :  the  other 
aspired  to  crowns  of  martyrdom — and  they  at- 
tained them. 

The  gentle  voice  of  Christ  reproves  the  timid 
conduct  of  his  M^eak  disciples — '  Come  forward,' 


(     235     ) 

as  if  he  had  said  without  a  figure — *  come  forward, 
*  and  own  yourselves  to  be  mine. — Let  me  see  thy 
'  countenance  and  hear  thy  voice'.' 

But  there  is  probably  another  allusion.  The 
solitary  dove  retires  to  moan''  among  the  rocks, 
and  sadly  entertain  her  sorrows  with  the  ecb  >  of 
her  own  complaints.  How  true  a  piclure  of  many 
a  distressed  believer — but  let  such  listen  to  the 
call  of  the  beloved. 

'  The  winter  is  past :' — then  why  mourn  among 
the  rocks.  The  gospel  abounds  with  motives 
and  grounds  of  joy,  and  is  full  of  topics  of  conso- 
lation. You  are  a  sinner  : — to  such  only  is  the 
gospel  addressed. — You  are  a  great  sinner  : — 
you  have  the  more  need  then  to  seek  a  "  great 
*'  salvation."  You  have  multiplied  transgressions: 
and  he  has  promised  to  multiply  pardons.  You 
cannot  repent :  it  is  his  office  to  give  repentance 
as  well  as  remission  of  sins.  But  you  have  no 
faith  :  "  O  ye  of  little  faith,  wherefore  do  ye 
*'  doubt?"  Why  fly  from  the  Saviour  you  so  m.uch 
need  ?  To  whom  will  ye  go  ?  he  only  has  the 
words  of  eternal  life. — Why  then  waste  your  com- 


1  The  following  Hinclostan  Ode,  by  the  Emperor  Shah 
Avilum,  presents  us  with  exatlly  the  same  form  of  expres- 
sion. 

'  Shew  me  thy  face,  O  my  love  I 

'  Let  me  hear  thy  voice,  ere  you  quit  me.' 

Oriental  Col.  vol., II.  p.  394. 

2  '  The  wild  dove  who  soothes  me  with  her  notes,  like 
'  me  has  a  dejecled  heart.'  Carlyle's  specimens  of  Arab. 
Poetry. 


(     236     ) 

plaints  on  the  winds,  and  increase  your  griefs,  by- 
reverberating  them  among  the  echoing  rocks  ? 
Let  him  see  your  countenance — let  him  hear  your 
voice.  Go  then  to  the  throne  of  grace,  shew  thy- 
self cheerful  in  his  house  of  prayer  :  for  to  him 
thy  voice  is  sweet,  and  thy  countenance  is  come- 
ly. The  \\'orld  may  deride  thy  cries,  and  ridi- 
cule thy  grief:  but  tears  of  penitence  are  pearls 
in  his  sight ;  and  the  sighings  of  a  contrite  heart 
are  melody  in  his  ears. 

Ver.  15. 

Virgins.    Take  for   us  the  foxes,  the  little  foxes  that  spoil 
the  vines, 
For  our  vines  have  tender  buds. 

These  words  are  evidently  the  language  of  the 
chorus,  and  seem  addressed  by  the  virgins  to  the 
companions  of  the  bridegroom,  requesting  their 
protection  and  defence,  under  the  metaphor  of 
defending  the  vineyard  from  the  foxes,  which  not 
only  disturb  the  vineyard,  and  devour  the  grapes  ; 
but  gnaw  the  branches  and  roots,  so  as  to  destroy 
the  vines.  It  should  be  remembered  that  the 
Jewish  weddings  were  commonly  attended  with  a 
guard ;  and  this  was  particularly  the  case  in  the 
present  instance.     See  chap.  III.  7. 

It  is  pretty  well  agreed  among  the  commenta- 
tors  and  divines,  that  by  foxes  here  may  be  alle- 
gorically  understood  false  prophets  among  the 
Jews,  and  false  or  heretical  teachers  among  our- 
selves. This  idea  is  certainly  scriptural.  Eze- 
KiEL  says,  '*  O  Israel,  thy  prophets  are  like 
^i foxes  in  the  desert."     What  do  foxes  in  thq 


(     237     ) 

desert  ?  No  doubt  they  lie  in  wait  for  prey;  watch- 
ing for  any  animal  that  may  fall  within  their  pow- 
er, of  which  they  may  be  able  to  make  a  prey. 
On  this  character  I  beg  to  offer  a  few  remarks. 

The  Fox  is  the  emblem  of  treachery,  and  his 
chara61:er,  I  apprehend,  comprizes  two  things, 
cunning  and  cruelty.  This  gives  'us  the  true 
description  of  a  false  prophet  and  an  heresiarch. 
He  is  a  man  of  an  artful  head  and  a  hard  heart. 
The  objecl  of  the  false  prophet  was  to  mislead  the 
Israelite  from  the  worship  of  the  true  God  to  the 
adoration  of  idols.  The  chara(Sler  of  the  heretic 
is  that  of  an  artful  se6lary,  who  endeavours  to 
withdraw  Christians  from  the  simplicity  of  Christ, 
in  order  to  raise  a  party,  or  a  name.  The  atten- 
tive reader  may  observe,  in  the  New  Testament, 
a  strong  line  of  distin»Slion  between  mistaken  bre- 
thren and  heretical  teachers.  To  the  former  is 
shewn  all  tenderness  and  compassion  :  to  the  lat- 
ter none.  This  can  only  be  accounted  for  by 
marking  the  difference  of  character.  Heretical 
teachers  have  a  base  and  corrupt  design  :  they  are 
charged  with"  cunning  craftiness,"  whereby  they 
*'  lie  in  wait  to  deceive  :"  mistaken  brethren  are 
deluded  and  deceived. 

By  little  foxes  may'  perhaps  be  meant  the 
jackalls^  which  though  small  are  most  dangerous 
and  destructive ;    for  the  jackall  often  precedes 


^  The  LXX,  and   some   Hcb,   copies,  omit  the  second 
word,  foxes  ;  and  read,  '  Take  us  the  little  foxes,'  £cc. 


(     238     ) 

the  lion,  and  is  proverbially  his  provider.  Even 
this  may  be  allegorized  vv^ithout  violence.  Those 
are  the  most  dangerous  errors  which  have  the 
worst  moral  tendency.  Those  erroneous  teach- 
ers who  labour  to  set  aside  the  Saviour,  or  to 
smooth  the  way  to  sin,  may  be  too  justly  consi- 
dered as  the  agents  of  him  who,  as  "  a  roaring  li- 
"  on,  goeth  about,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour." 

It  is  commanded  to  take  these  foxes  :  i.  e.  to 
deteft,  expose,  and  antidote  their  errors,  and 
separate  them  from  our  communion  :  and  it  were 
well  if  the  professed  ministers  of  Christ  went  no 
farther.  Such  expressions  have  been  too  often 
perverted  to  imply  the  power  of  the  sword;  and 
Peter's  sword  we  know  was  early  stained  with 
blood.  The  reason  given  is,  that  they  spoil  or 
destroy  the  tender  grapes.  Foxes,  it  seems,  live 
and  fatten  upon  grapes.  Stript  of  its  allegorical 
dress  the  meaning  evidently  is, 

1.  That  such  persons  live  on  the  spoil  of  others: 
'  they  devour  vv^idows  houses,  and  for  a  pretence 
'-  make  long  prayers.' 

2.  That  these  heretics  prey  upon  young  Chris- 
tians, and  destroy  the  promise  of  their  tender 
blossoms,  and  their  early  buds.  The  weaker  age, 
the  weaker  sex,  and  the  weaker  talents,  are  pecu- 
liarly their  prey — '  they  lead  captive  silly  women.* 

It  may  be  a  useful  improvement  of  this  verse, 
to  point  out  some  of  the  pretences  that  false  teach- 
ers employ  to  delude  weak  minds — and  some 
traits  of  weakness  that  expose  certain  characters 
to  their  deceptions. 


(     239     ) 

It  was  a  common  pra6Vice  among  antient  he- 
retics to  afFe6l  peculiar  austerities.  The  old  na- 
turalists say,  that  foxes  will  sometimes  feign 
themselves  dead,  in  order  to  ensnare  their  prey  : 
so  it  is  with  some  who  afFe6l  to  be  uncommonly 
dead  and  mortified  to  the  world,  in  order  to  dravy 
disciples. — Another  pretence  made  use  of  is,  the 
attributing  greater  glory  to  Christ.  Thus,  under 
the  notion  of  making  him  our  sanftification,  holi- 
ness has  been  discarded  as  legal,  and  Christ  him- 
self has  been  made,  virtually,  the  minister  of  sin. 

Among  the  circumstances  which  subject  cer- 
tain tempers  to  delusion,  are  the  following. 

The  love  of  something  new  and  beyond  the  vul- 
gar ken  is  a  great  snare  with  weak  minds.  They 
are  fond  of  mystery,  love  to  penetrate  into  deep 
subjefts  of  enquiry,  and  are  particularly  pleased 
to  be  thought  wiser  than  their  fellow  Christians. 
The  gnostics  appear  to  hive  been  of  this  stamp. 
The  affectation  of  novelty  and  singularity  is  ano- 
ther great  snare,  in  as  much  as  it  leads  to  useless 
and  impertinent  enquiries,  and  to  be  '  wise  above 
*  what  is  written.' 

Another  dangerous  temptation  is,  that  of  af- 
fecting to  be  super-evangelical  and  high  in  doc- 
trine ;  an  affectation  that  reproaches,  not  only  the 
best  men  of  modern  times,  but  the  apostles,  and 
our  Lord  himself,  many  of  whose  discourses 
would  by  no  means  answer  to  the. standard  of  these 
hyper- orthodox  divines. 


(     240     ) 

Ver.  16,  17. 

Spouse.    My  beloved  is  mine  and  I  am  his  ; 
He  feedeth  among  the  lilies. 

Until  the  day  breathe,  and  the  shades  flee  away, 
Return,  my  beloved,  and  be  unto  me 
Like  an  antelope,  or  a  young  hart,  upon  the  craggy 
mountains. 

These  verses  stand  perfecbly  distin^l:  from  the 
preceding,  and  form  a  sense  complete  of  theni- 
selves.  The  spouse  expresses  her  satisfa6\ion  in 
her  relation  to  her  beloved,  and  the  enjoyment  of 
his  affe6lions,  with  a  desire  for  their  continuance. 

*■  My  beloved  is  mine,  and  I  am  his^'  i.  e. 
I  am  his  spouse,  and  he  is  my  husband.  This 
relation  between  Christ  and  the  church  has  been 
already  explained,  and  it  is  desireable  to  avoid 
repetition  ;  but  we  may  enlarge  a  little  upon  the 
mutual  affe6tion  between  the  parties,  and  their 
mutual  interest  in  each  other. 

*  My  beloved  is  mine.'  He  is  the  supreme 
object  of  my  affeftion,  the  sum  of  all  my  de- 
lights. '  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  thee  ? 
*  and  there  is  none  on  earth  that  I  desire  beside 
'  thee.'  The  love  of  God  is  not  only  supreme, 
but,  where  it  eminently  prevails,  in  a  manner 
absorbs  all  other  affe6lions.  Those  who  love  God 
eminently,  love  their  fellow  creatures  iii  him. 
In  him  they  embrace  all  the  tender  connexions 


1  '  From  the  moment  that  T  heard  the  divine  sentence, 
*'  I  have  breathed  into  mania  portion  of  my  Spirit,"  '  I 
<  was  assured  that  we  were  his,  and  he  ours,'  Sir  W- 
Jones's  Works,  vol.  I.  p.  45. 


(    241     ) 

t>f  human  life — husband  and  wife — parent  and 
child — brother,  and  sister,  and  friend.  All  are 
beloved  in  God,  when  they  are  beloved  for  his 
sake ;  when  all  human  affections  are  regulated  by- 
cur  regard  to  him* 

"  I  am  his."  I  am  the  obje6l  of  his  love* 
That  God  should  be  the  object  of  a  creature's 
love  is  most  just  and  reasonable  ;  but  why  should 
God  delisfht  himself  in  creatures  ?  How  wonder- 

o 

ful  that  expression  of  the  Lord  in  the  prophet — - 
'  I  will  rejoice  over  her  with  singing!* 

Is  it  enquired  how  God  and  his  ele6l  come  to 
have  this  propriety  in  each  other  T  I  reply, 

(1.)  By  mutual  choice.  '  I  have  loved  thee,^ 
saith  the  Lord,  '  with  an  everlasting  love,  and 

*  therefore   with    loving  kindness  have  I  drawn 

*  thee.' — '  Wc  love  him,  because  he  first  loved 
'  us.' — (2.)  By  concerting  gi'ace.  *  I  have  called 
'  thee  by  thy  name,  thou  art  mine.'  They  that 
are  with  the  Lamb  are  '  called,  and  chosen,  and 

*  faitlifuL' — (3.)  By  covenant  e^igagement.    '  One 

*  shall  say  I  am  the  Lord's,  and  another  shall  call 

*  himself  by  the  name  of  Jacob.' — (4.)  By  union 
of  Spirit.  Our  first  father  said  of  his  fair  com- 
panion, '  She  is  bone  of  my  bone,  and  flesh  of 
'  my  flesh  :'  but  the  relation  of  Christ  and  the 
church,  as  it  is  ispiritual,  is  more  intimate  :   '  He 

*  that  IS  joined  to  the  Lord,  is  one  spirit. 

'He  feedeth  among  the  lilies:'  that  is,  he 
fcedeth  in  the  best  pastures ;  for  in  i;uch  lilies 

Mh 


(     242     ) 

appear  to  have  grown  spontaneously,  like  the 
wild  flov.ers  of  our  meadows.  This  expression 
was  probably  proverbial,  and  might  be  of  similar 
import  with  a  common  proverb  of  our  own. 
When  v.e  say  familiarly,  such  an  one  is  in  clover y 
we  mean  that  he  is  enjoying  himself  like  cattle  In 
rich  pastures ;  in  this  view  it  would  imply  that 
the  beloved,  comparing  him  to  the  antelope  or 
the  young  hart,  (as  in  the  following  verse)  was 
wont  to  enjoy  himself  in  the  company  of  the 
bride,  like  the  deer  feeding  among  the  lilies. 

But  as  the  expression  is  equivocal,  and  may 
be  taken  either  actively  or  passively,  it  will  sig- 
nify either  he  feeds  himself,  or  he  feeds  his  flock: 
we  may  therefore,  with  R.  Sol.  Jarchi,  under- 
stand it  as  synonimous  with  the  expression  of 
the  Psalmist,  '  He  leadeth  me  into  green  pastures.* 
— Either  sense  will  admit  a  useful  application. 

If  the  bridegroom  be  compared  to  the  antelope 
'  feeding  among  the  lilies,'  it  will  refer  to  the 
pleasure  and  delight  the  Lord  takes  in  the  com- 
pany of  his  church.  The  same  sentiment  is  more 
clecvrly  expressed  in  other  passages  of  this  song 
— '  O  how  pleasant  art  thou,  O  love,  for  de- 
'  lights!' 

If  the  bridegroom  be  considered  in  his  pastoral 
chara6\er,  then  it  applies  to  the  Lord's  gracious 
care  and  attention  to  his  people.  If  this  latter 
sense  be  preferred,  perhaps  the  whole  verse  may 
bear  this  explanation  : — '  The  Lord  is  my  shep- 
'  herd,  and  I  am  one  of  the  sheep  of  his  pasture ; 


su 


(     243     ) 

*  I  shall  not  want,  for  he  will  supply,  not  only 

*  the  necessary  supports,  but  even  the  comforts 

*  and  luxuries,  as  it  were,  of  the  divine  life/ 

In  the  preceding  scene  the  bridegroom  has 
been  supposed  absent ;  at  the  nearest  he  was 
standing  behind  the  wall,  or  shewing  himself 
through  the  lattices.  The  spouse  now  desires  his 
speedy  return — with*  the  swiftness  of  the  ante- 
lope, or  young  hart\  upon  the  craggy  moun- 
tains* ;  and  she  implores  his  stay  with  her  until 
the  returning  dawn'. 

In  improving  this  verse  we  may  observe, 

1.  That  the  church,  in  her  present  state,  is 
oubjecl  to  the  vicissitudes  of  day  and  night ;  i.  e. 
alternate  seasons  of  light  and  darkness,  prosperity 

^  '  Thou  wert  swift,  O  Moi'ar,  as  the  roe  on  the  desert.' 
Song  of  Sdlma,  in  Ossir.n's  Poems. 

2  '  Crajjgy  mountains.' — '  Mountains  of  Bethe?-^'  say  our 
translators  and  others,  taking  Bether  for  a  proper  name, 
but  what  place  this  was  can  only  be  conje6lurcd.  Most 
criiics,  therefore,  prefer  taking  the  word  according  to  its 
radical  idea,  for  *  mountains  of  division,'  as  in  the  margin 
of  our  Bibles ;  or  rather  divided,  decussated,  cleft,  and 
craggy  mountains.  So  the  LXX,  o/»)  noif.uifjiccr'jiv,  moun- 
tains of  cavities.  Buxtorf  says,  In  montibus  sectL,onis, 
i.  c.  sectis,  disparatis. 

3  The  sense  of  this  verse  appears  to  be  obscured  by  the 
poetical  position  of  the  words.  Reduced  to  simple  prose, 
the  text   would  read,  '  Return,  my  beloved,  like  an  aate- 

*  lope  or  a  young  hart  upon  the  craggy  mountains  ;  and 
'  remain  with    me    until  the  day  breatlie,    and  tiie  shades 

*  flee  away.'  Unless  we  chuse  to  give  an  uV.nnual  import 
to  the  particles  uny,  and  render  it  '  Ere  that  the  day 
'  breathe,'  &c.  i.  e.  return,  my  beloved,  before  the  morn- 
ing. 'I'he  radical  idea  of  njr,  which  is  perpetuity^  might 
justify  this  ;  (so  ere  and  ever  are  coancCled  and  confounded 
in  our  language)  but  I  confess  I  want  examples. 


(     244     ) 

and  adversity,  joy  and  sorron- ;  and  as  it  is  with 
Christ's  mystical  body,  so  is  it  also  with  the  indi- 
vidual members  of  which  it  is  composed.  The 
frames  of  the  believer  are  various  and  changeable; 
often  suddenly  so  :  at  one  time  joy,  delight,  and 
triumph  in  the  Lord  :  at  another,  coldness,  de- 
je6lion,  and  distress  :  now  the  brightness  of  an 
imclouded  day  ;  anon  the  darkness  of  a  moonless 
night. 

2.  In  such  seasons  of  darkness  and  afflidlion 
the  absence  of  the  Redeemer  is  sensibly  felt,  and 
his  return  to  be  ardently  desired.  If  this  night 
be  applied  to  the  Jewish  state,  under  that  dis- 
pensation the  pious  believers  longed  earnestly  for 
the  dawn  of  the  gospel  day,  when  the  Sun  of 
righteousness  was  to  arise  and  chase  the  darkness 
and  the  gloom  of  that  shadowy  dispensation.  If 
we  apply  it  to  the  present  state,  and  look  forward 
to  the  future  life,  as  an  everlasting  day  of  intelli- 
gence and  joy,  we  know  how  indispensable  the 
presence  of  our  divine  Shepherd  is  to  carry  us 
comfortably,  or  even  safely,  through  this  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death. 

3.  The  return  of  this  divine  Saviour  is  the  on- 
ly rational  way  in  which  we  can  look  for  return- 
ing light  and  joy. 

The  night  may  be  illuminated  by  ten  thousand 
torches,  but  still  darkness  reigns  around  :  or  it 
may  be  softened  by  the  pale  moon- beams  and  the 
twinkling  stars,  yet  is  it  still  night ;  neither  of 
these  can  chase  the  shadows  of  the  night,  and 
bi*ing  the  dawn, 


(     245     ) 

The  beautiful  imagery  here  employed  merits 
farther    observation:    *  until   the    day    breathe', 

*  and  the  shadows  flee.'  The  dawn  of  day  in 
countries  bordering  the  sea  is  constantly  accom- 
panied by  fresh  breezes  from  the  water,  which, 
in  the  east,  particularly,  are  considered  as  equally 
salubrious  and  delightful ;  and  to  these  the  pro- 
phet has  been  thought  to  allude  when  he  says, 
the  '  Sun  of  righteousness  will  arise  with  healing 
*■  under  his  wings-.'  Thus  indeed  he  arose,  and 
at  his  rising  the  prophetic  Spirit,  *  that  heavenly 
'wind,'  also  awoke,  and  gave  health  and  healing, 
both  literally  and  spiritually,  to  the  nations  among 
whom  he  arose. 

What  was  the  state  of  the  world  when  Christ 
came  ?     '  Darkness  covered  the  earth,  and  gross 

*  darkness  the  people  :'  but  when  he  arose,  he 
came,  as  it  were,  on  the  wings  of  the  morning, 
and  the  shadows  fled  away.  His  doclrine  dis- 
pelled the  clouds  of  ignorance,  which  had  been 
raised  by  Jewish  priests  and  Gentile  philosophers; 
and  his  example  exhibited  *  a  bright  and  shining 

*  light,'  which  has  already  illuminated  more  than 
half  the  world. 


*   *  Until  the  day  break' — (rTr*3"'\y  '\l">)  '  according  to  the 
Hebrew  text,'  says  Dr.  Gill,  '  until  the  day  breathe."  '  Uii- 

*  til  the  day  blow  fresh,'  says   Bp.  Percy  ;   who    adds,   '  \\\ 
'  those  hot  countries  the  dawn  of  the  day  is  attended  with 

*  a  fine    refreshing  breeze,  much  more   grateful   and   de- 
'  sirable  than  the  return  of  light  itself.' 

'  Sec  the  Christian's  Elegant  Repository,  p.  S3. 


(     246     ) 
SECTION  V. 

Chap.  III.  Vcr.  2—5. 

Spouse.    Upon  my  bed  by  night  I  sought  him  -whom  my  soul 
loveth  : 
I  sought  him,  but  I  found  him  not. 
'  I  will  arise  now,   and  go  about  the  city  ; 
'  In  the  streets,  and  in  the  broad  ways, 
'  I  will  seek  him  whom  my  soul  loveth.' 
I  sought  him,  but  I  found  him  not. 
The  watchmen,  who  go  I'ound  the  city,  found  mc  i 
'  Have  ye  seen  him  whom  my  soul  loveth  t' 
Scarcely  had  I  passed  from  them, 
When  I  found  him  whom  my  soul  loveth  : 
I  held  him,  and  would  not  let  him  go, 
Until  I  had  brought  him  to  my  mother's  house, 
To  the  apartment  of  her  who  bore  me. 
I  adjure  you,  O  daughters  of  Jerusalem,     • 
By  the  antelopes,  and  by  the  hinds  of  tlie  field, 
That  ye  disturb  not,  nor  awake  this  lovely  one  un- 
til he  please. 


THIS  scene  evidently  opens  witli  the  morn- 
ing :  and  I  confess  myself  well  satisfied  with  the 
hypothesis  of  Hufnagel,  Dathe,  and  Doderlein, 
that  this  and  the  similar  passage  in  chap.  v.  re- 
late the  dreams  of  the  spouse ;  indeed  the  latter 
passage  is  express,  for  no  language  can  more 
justly  and  beautifully  describe  a  dream  than 
thai  of  the  spouse,  '  I  slept,  but  my  heart  wak- 
*■  ed.'  And  though  the  same  introduction  is 
not  used  here,  a  parity  of  circumstances,  and 
similitude  of  style,  lead  us  naturally  to  the  same 
conclusion. 

Solomon  says  *  a  dream  cometh  from  the  mul- 


(     247     ) 

*  titude  of  business  :'  and,  without  entering  into 
the  theory  of  dreaming,  we  may  observe  from 
our  own  experience,  that  the  same  obje6ls  which 
exercise  the  mind  by  day,  often  agitate  it  by 
night.  The  merchant  dreams  of  business,  the 
sportsman  of  the  chace,  and  the  lover  of  the  be- 
loved object.  Thus  it  is  with  the  spouse  here. 
She  had  been  ardently  desirous  of  the  presence 
of  her  beloved,  and  in  her  dream  she  anticipates 
his  return  :  '  Upon  my  bed  by  night  I  sought 
'  him.' 

But  there  is  another  reason  which  might  lead 
Solomon  to  adopt  this  figurative  mode  of  speak- 
ing. It  was  in  this  mode  that  God  usually  re- 
vealed himself  to  the  prophets,  and  in  particular 
to  the  author  of  this  poem. 

This  method  of  interpretation  silences  many 
obje6lions,  and  answers  many  queries,  hard,  if 
not  impossible,  to  be  answered  on  any  other  hy- 
pothesis. Such  as.  How  should  a  princess  be 
suffered  to  ramble  about  the  city  in  the  night, 
and  be  assaulted  by  the  watchmen  ?  &c.  A  thou- 
sand circumstances  combine  in  vision  which  ne- 
ver can  exist  together  in  reality.  But  let  us  ex- 
amine the  vision. 

'  By  night  on  my  bed  I  sought  him'.'     Inter- 


1  Two  circumstances  have  puzzled  the  commentators 
without  reason,  namely,  the  absence  of  the  beloved  by 
night  ;  and  tlie  spouse  leading  him  to  her  mother's  house. 
As  to  the  former  we  have  already  observed,  (p.  154)  that 
after  the  consummation  it  was  usual  for  the  Hebrew  bride 
and  bridegroom  to  pass  the  remaining  nights  of  the  week 
iepartite.      This  appears  also   to  have  been  the  custom,  iit 


(     ^48     ) 

preters  generally  consider  this  bed  as  the  image 
of  a  state  of  supinencss  and  of  sloth  :  and  suppose 
that  the  reason  the  spouse  found  not  her  beloved 
was,  because  she  sought  him  in  her  bed.  But  is 
this  appropriate  and  just  ?  Has  not  a  bride  a  right 
to  expect  her  husband  to  be  the  partner  of  her 
bed? 

Taking  the  passage  according  to  our  hypothe- 
sis, I  may  be  permitted  to  offer  the  following  re- 
fle6lions. 

First.  This  dream  shews  how  much  the  mind 
of  the  spouse  was  occupied  with  the  obje6l  of  her 
affe61:ion.  He  was  the  subject  of  her  enquiry 
both  by  day  and  night  This  will  apply  spiritually 
to  the  case  of  believers.  David  tells  us  repeat- 
edly how  much  his  mind  was  occupied  with  God 
his  Saviour  in  the  night  season  :  and  it  appears 
that  this  was  the  grand  subje6l  of  the  prophetic 
vision. — Jacob  saw  him  on  the  celestial  ladder  ; 
David  beheld  him  on  the  right  hand  of  God  ;  and 
Daniel  in  the  clouds  of  heaven. 

2.   There    appears   a   restlessness  in   the   con- 


least  for  one  niglit  of  the  week,  among  the  Greeks.  In 
this  case  it  Is  said  the  bride  lodged  at  the  house  of  her 
parents.  [See  Potter's  Antiq.  vol.  II.  p.  294.]  As  the 
Greeks  borrowed  many  of  their  customs  from  the  east,  it 
is  probr.blc  such  a  practice  raic^ht  obtain  among;  the  He- 
brews during-  the  nit^hts  of  separation. — But  how  coukl 
Pharaoh's  daughter  sleep  at  her  mother's  ?  Suppose  only, 
that  her  mother  had  accompanied  her  from  Egypt,  (a  cir- 
cumstance probable  also  from  ver.  11.  of  this  chapter)  and 
had  a  suit  of  apartment.?  assigned  for  her  in  the  palace, 
and  it  is  easy  to  be  accounted  for.  Though,  after  all,  as 
1  consider  this  only  as  a  dream,  I  am  not  concerned  ta 
bring-  all  the  circumstances  within  the  verge  of  probability. 


(     ^49     ) 

tliicl  of  the  church,  which  very  well  represents 
the  state  of  a  mind  awakened  to  enquiries  after 
the  Lord.  She  sought  him  a-bed  ;  but  he  was 
not  there.  She  arose  and  sought  him  in  the  city — 
in  the  open  court,  and  in  the  narrow  street ;  hither 
and  thither  she  pursues  him — enquires  of  all  she 
meets,  and  rests  not  till  she  finds  him.  Thus  is 
it  with  an  awakened  soul — with  one  that  seeketh 
after  God.  The  mind  being  convinced  of  the 
true  and  only  source  of  happiness,  it  is  in  vain  to 
present  other  obje6ls  ;  it  is  the  beloved  of  her  soul 
she  seeks,  and  her  cry  is  with  Job,  '  O  that  I 
'  knew  where  I  might  find  him.'  She  may  find 
the  watchmen,  but  they  can  be  of  no  use,  unless 
they  dire6t  to  the  beloved. 

We  must  also  notice  what  is  said  of  these  watch- 
men— their  oflice  and  their  condu6l.  We  know 
that  ministers  of  God,  under  both  dispensations, 
have  been  called  watchmen.  So  the  Lord  to  Eze- 
kiel  :   *  Son  of  man,  I  have  set  thee  a  watchman 

*  over  the  house  of  Israel :'  and  St.  Paul  explains 
the  term  in  adapting  it  to  ministers  of  the  New 
Testament — *  They  watch  for  souls.'  This  is 
doubtless  meant  by  going  about  the  city:  they 
are  the  guardians  of  the  night,  and  it  is  their  of- 
fice particularly  to  notice  such  enquirers — *  They 
'  found  me.' 

It  is  observable  in  the  next  place  that  her  en- 
quiries were  not  eventually  in  vain.     '  They  that 

*  seek  shall  find,'  is  the  great  promise  of  the  gos- 
pel. But  when  did  she  find  her  beloved  ?  '  It 
was  but  a  little  that  I  passed  from  tbeju^''  namelv, 

I'i 


(     ^50     ) 

the  watchmen.  It  should  seem  that  their  informa- 
tion was  of  use  to  dircft  her  ;  for  she  met  the  ob- 
ject of  her  enquiries  immediately  afccrward. 

WcTnnst  not  omit  to  notice  the  affeclionate  and 
expressive  chara6\er  she  gives  him — '  Him  whom 
'  her  soul  lovcth.*  Observe  she  gives  him  no 
name- — and  full  (as  we  observed  above')  of  the 
objecl  of  her  love,  she  fmds  no  name  requisite — 
her  soul  loveth  him,  and  she  is  ready  to  suppose 
that  all  must  know  him  as  well  as  she  did. 

She  found  him,  and  how  did  she  then  treat 
him  ?  She  held  him,  and  would  not  let  him  go,  till 
she  brought  him  to  her  mother's  house.  The  vi- 
sion of  Jacob,  and  the  angel  of  Jehovah,  will  fur- 
nish us  with  a  true  explanation  of  this  expression. 
He  found  him  in  Bethel  :  '  I  will  not  let  thee  go,* 
said  he,  '  except  thou  bless  me.' — '  He  had  power 
'  over  the  angel,  and  prevailed  :  he  wept  and  made 
*  supplication  unto  him^ .' 

She  brought  him  to  her  mother''s  house  ;  that 
is,  according  to  most  commentators,  to  the 
church,  the  temple,  the  house  of  God.  Possibly 
the  simple  meaning  may  be,  she  condu6led  him 
where  she  could  best  enjoy  his  company  ;  but  this 
will  lead  us  to  the  same  idea,  for  where  is  the  di- 
vine presence  so  much  to  be  enjoyed  as  in  the 
house  of  God  ? 

Will  the  reader  say,  this  was  all  a  dream  ?  It 
was  so  ;   and  such  are  all  our  enjoyments  in  the 

*  See  page  155.         »  See  Gen.  xxxii.  24.  and  Kos.xii.  4. 


(     251     ) 

present  state.  The  golden  obje6ls  of  our  vision 
present  themselves — we  embrace  them,  and  they 
vanish. 

*  This  world's  a  dream,  an  empty  show  ; 

*  But  the  bright  world  to  which  we  go 
'  Hath  joys  substantial  and  sincere  : 

'  When  shall  I  wake  and  find  me  there  ? 

WATTS. 

This  will  apply  even  to  spiritual   enjoyments. 

*  When  the  Lord  turned  again  the  captivity  of  Zi- 

*  on,  we  were  like  them  that  dream^''  says  the 
Psalmist.  And  how  true  is  this  in  the  experience 
of  the  Christian  !  Our  brightest  views  of  the  di- 
vine glory  are  as  imperfecl  and  transient  as  a  vi- 
sion. While  we  enjoy  these  divine  comforts  we 
begin  to  doubt  them-^and  what  is  the  vision  when 
withdrawn  ? 

The  repetition  of  the  chorus  shews  the  conclu- 
sion of  another  scene — another  day — and,  with  us, 
another  section.  But  with  what  beauty  or  con- 
nexion is  it  here  introduced  ?  She  had  dreamed 
of  being  in  the  company  of  her  beloved,  she  sup- 
poses him  still  in  her  embraces,  and  she  depre- 
cates the  loss  of  his  presence.  But  I  cannot  for- 
bear here  introducing  a  few  more  lines  from  my 
favourite  commentator — Watts. 

*  I  charge  you,  '^ll  ye  earthly  toys, 

'  Approach  not  to  disturb  my  joys  ; 

*  Nor  sin,  nor  hell,  come  near  my  heart, 

*  Nor  cause  my  Saviour  to  depart.' 


(     452     ) 


SECTION    VI. 

Chap.  iii.    Vcr.  6 — 11, 

Ist  Vivgin.     What  is  this  risint^  from  the  ■wilderness,   iik« 
columns  of  smoke, 
Fuminjj  with  myrrh,  and  frankinceftse, 
More  [precious]  than  all  the  powders  of  the 
merchant  ? 

2d  Vir't'in.       Behold  1     Solomon's  own  palanquin  ! 

Threescore  warriors  surround  it,  the  Avarriors 

of  Israel. 
Every  one  having  a  sword,  being  skilled  in  war  ; 
liach  [vrith]  his  sword  upon  his  thigl^ 
Because  of  danger  in  the  night. 

1st  V'lrpin.      A  carriage  hath  he  made  for  himself, 

Even  Solomon  the  king,  of  the  wood  of  Leba- 
non. 
The  pillars  thereof  hath  he  made  of  silver  : 
Its  carpet  of  gold  ; — its  seat^  of  purple  : 
The  midst  thereof  being  lined  with  love, 
By  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem. 

2d   Virgin,      Go   forth,     ye  daughters  of   Zion,  and  view 

King  Solomon, 
In  the  crown  wherewith  his  mother  crowned 

him. 
In  the  day  of  his  espousals,  ^ 

In  the  day  of  the  gladness  of  his  heart. 

THIS  sedion,  like  the  preceding,  seems  not 
well  to  admit  of  division. 

A  grand  scene  now  opens  upon  our  view.  The 
royal  palanquin  is  seen  coming  up  from  the  wil- 
derness  i.  e.  from  Egypt,  which  lay  beyond  the 

wilderness.     To  render  this  scene  intelligible,  it 


1  Its  cushion — the  same  word  nil)3  is  used  for  a  seat,  or 
saddle  to  ride  on,  Levit.  xv.  9.  It  is  properly,  I  think,  the 
seat  of  a  carriage — Beds,  i.  e.  carpets  of  gold  and  silvei". 
are  mentioned,  Esther  i.  6. 


(     253     ) 

may  be  necessary  to  give  some  account  of  the 
kind  of  carriage  here  introduced,  and  explain  the 
other  parts  of  the  poetical  imagery,  before  we  at- 
tempt any  spiritual  application. 

The  use  of  perfumes  at  eastern  marriages  is 
common,  and,  upon  grand  occasions,  very  pro- 
fuse. Not  only  are  the  garments  scented  till,  in 
the  Psalmist's  language,  they  '  smell  of  myrrh, 
*  aloes,  and  cassia  :'  but  it  is  customary  for  virgins 
to  meet  and  lead  the  procession  with  silver- gilt 
pots  of  perfumes  ;  and  sometimes  even  the  air 
around  is  rendered  fragrant  by  the  burning  of  aro- 
matics  in  the  windows  of  all  the  houses,  in  the 
streets  through  which  the  procession  is  to  pass"^. 
In  the  present  instance,  so  liberally  m  ere  these 
rich  perfumes  burnt,  that,  at  a  distance,  a  pillar, 
or  pillars'^  of  smoke  arose  from  them  :  and  the 
perfume  was  so  rich  as  to  exceed  in  value  and 
fragrancy  all  the  powders  of  the  merchant^ . 

1  Karmer  oa  Sol.  Song,  p.  123 — 5. 

2  Twenty  MSS.  the  LXX,  Symmachus,  the  Syr'uic,  and 
Vulgate,  all  veacl  this  word  sinsj-ular  (iian).  The  word  used 
for  columns  means  striSlly  palm  trees,  which  from  their 
hei??ht  and  straitness  were  often  used  for  that  purpose  :  and 
a  pillar  or  column  of  smoke,  in  a  calm  atmosphere,  strongly 
resembles  that  tree — rising  very  high,  and  then  bending 
downwards.  '  Columna:,  ad  formam  palrare  assurgentes.' 
Buxtorf. 

5  '  More  (rich,  excellent,  or  precious)  than' — I  take  to  be 
the  exa£l  force  of  the  ])article  73  in  this  place,  (See  in  Heb; 
Ps.  iv.  8.  ex.  3.  Prov.  iii.  14.  Is.  x.  10.  Job  xxxv.  2.)  and 
so  it  is  rendered  by  Junius  Ijf  Tremcl.  and  Piscator.  I  have 
rendered  abekat  (np2X)  powders^  rather  than  perfumes,  as 
more  literal ;  and  as  comprehending  gold  dust,  which  was 
a  grand  ai'ticlc  of  commerce,  and  probably  here  alluded  to. 


(     254     ) 

There  is  some  difiiculty  to  fix  the  speakers,  tQ 
me  it  appears  that  neither  the  bride  nor  bride- 
groom are  introduced  throughout  the  whole  of 
this  seQion ;  but  that  it  is  a  kind  of  dialogue 
between  the  virgins,  probably  in  two  semi- cho- 
ruses. 

The  carriage  here  introduced  appears  to  have 
been  a  kind  of  palanquin  of  state,  sufficiently 
large,  perhaps,  to  inclose  both  bride  and  bride- 
groom ' .     The  magnificence  of  this    carriage  is 

In  preferring  these  perfumes  to  gold  dust,  and  tl>e  powders 
of  the  merchant,  I  suppose  there  maybe  an  allusion  to  the 
sacred  perfumes  of  the  temple,  which  were  not  to  be  ma- 
nvifaclured  or  used  for  any  other  purpose,  under  penalty  of 
death. 

^  The  original  word  Dt^n  is  supposed  to  mean  a  kind  of 
litter,  or  open  vehicle,  u'sually  called  a  palanquin,  in  which 
the  great  men  of  the  east  are  carried,  sometimes  upon  ele- 
phants or  camelsj  and  other  times  on  men's  shoulders. 
The  bier  on  which  Abner  was  carried  to  his  grave  was  pro- 
bably of  thisnature.  See  Parkhurst  in  ni33.  Niebuhr  says, 
a  palanquin  completely  ornamented  with  silver,  covered 
v.'ith  rich  stuffs,  and  suspended  on  a  handsome  bamboo^  will 
cost  about  200/.  sterling.     Travels,  vol.  II.  p.  410. 

In  the  year  1796,  the  British  government  presented  the 
Nabob  of  the  Carnatic  with  a  superb  carriage  of  this  nature, 
v/hich  may  even  vie  Vt'ith  Solomon's,  of  which  the  following 
recount  is  copied  from  the  public  prints  of  the  time.  '  The 
'  beams  are  solid  gold,  the  inside  beautifully  decorated  with 
'  silver  lining  and  fringe  throughout:  the  panels  are  paint- 
'  ed  in  the  highest  style  of  finishing,  and  represent  various 
'  groups  and  heads  of  animals,  after  the  manner  of  Asia, 
'  beaded  with  gold  richly  raised  above  the  surface,  and  en- 
'  graved.  The  stays,  and  different  other  ornaments,  are  of 
'  embossed  silver.' 

The  word  appirion  (]i'«"iSi<)  used  in  the  next  verse,  and 
vendered  by  our  translators  chariot,  is  of  very  doubtful  ori- 
gin and  import.  Most  of  the  critics  derive  it  from  a  root 
(nis)  implying  fruitfulncss,  and  render  it  a  bridal-bedy 
Vi'hich  was  alwajs  expected  to  be  fruitful.  [So  l^ox^Clarcndon 


(     255     ) 

not  merely  ideal ;  such  are  to  this  day  employed 
by  eastern  nabobs,  as  may  be  seen  in  the.  margin. 

A  carriage  seems  also  alluded  to  in  the  45th 
psalm,  but  differing  materially  from  this.  That 
resembles  more  the  war-chariot  of  a  conqueror, 
and  the  prince  goeth  forth .  to  ti6lory,  with  his 
sword  girded  on  his  thigh.  This  is  the  palan- 
quin of  a  new- married  pair,  accompanied  with 
festivity  and  joy.  In  an  allegorical  view,  the  ob- 
ject intended  is  probably  the  same,  only  consi- 
dered in  a  different  point  of  view. 

But  what  is  this  obje6l  ?  The  Targum  and 
Jewish  commentators  explain  it  of  the  temple ; 
and  this  was  indeed  a  magnificent  object.  But 
something  grander  than  the  temple  is  here ;  and 
Theodoret,  and  other  Christian  writers,  ex- 
plain it  of  the  propagation  of  the  gospel  by  its 
first  ministers,  whom  he  considers,  not  improper- 
ly, as  pillars  of  the  church. 

The  success  of  the  gospel  is  sometimes  consi- 


calls  a  numerous  family,  '  The  offspi'ing  of  a  very  fruit- 
'  ful  bed.']  But  then  it  must  mean  such  a  bed  as  the  Ra- 
bins say  the  bride  used  to  be  carried  in  from  her  father's 
house  to  her  husband's  :  i.  e.  a  palanquin,  or  litter,  and 
so  the  word  is  used  in  the  Misnalu  Avcnarius  makes  it  a 
compound  word,  signifying  a  carriage  upon  wheels;  but 
the  LXX.  simply  render  it  4>op6;oy,  a  carriage;  and  from 
the  similarity  of  sound,  Cocceius,  among  others,  has  sup- 
posed the  term  to  have  been  originally  Greek,  and  he- 
braised  (with  other  foreign  words)  by  Solomon.  Paiismiius 
mentions  a  nuptial  chariot  which  contained  three  persons, 
the  bride,  the  bridegroom,  and  his  friend.  Something 
like  this  is  the  Indian  palanquin  called  Paiki,  in  which  thy 
bride  and  bridegroom  are  carried  upon  men's  shoulders. 


(     ^56     ) 

derecl  under  the  image  of  a  viclory,  and  at  othe'f' 
times  under  that  of  a  marriage  festival.  The 
latter  is  the  figure  now  before  us.  This  gospel 
chariot  has  set  most  of  the  expositors  a  riding 
*  upon  the  back  of  all  order  and  decorum.'  The 
love  of  allegory  is  a  great  snare  to  a  commenta- 
tor ;  and  the  small  expence  of  genius  or  labour 
necessary  to  please  the  million,  in  this  way,  has 
tempted  many  into  a  m^ethod  of  interpretation, 
which  has  given  the  enem.ics  of  g;ospel  truth  too 
just  occasion  of  reproach  and  ridicule.  Instead 
then  of  distin6lly  considering  the  top  and  bottom, 
the  pillows  and  the  lining,  he.  let  us  observe  in 
this  carriage  an  image  of  the  magnificence  and 
beauty — security  and  perpetuity  of  the  gospel. 

1.  The  magnificence  and  beauty  of  the  gos- 
pel is  like  the  simple  archite61ure  of  the  antients. 
Its  grandeur  is  not  that  of  a  heavy  unifoiTn  pile 
of  buildings  ;  nor  does  its  beauty  arise  from  a 
profusion  of  unmeaning  ornaments  :  but  there  is 
a  magnificence  and  unity  in  the  design,  a  propor- 
tion and  symmetry  in  its  parts,  which  forms  a 
character  of  beautiful  simplicity.  A  few  circum- 
stances may  be  mentioned. 

The  grand  design  of  the  gospel  is  the  glory 

of    the    divine    perfe6'tions,  in    their    harmony 

and    connexion.     The   God  of    Christians   is  a 
Deity 

.  '  full  orb'd, 

'  In  his  Mholc  round  of  attril)utcs  complete.'  ' 

All  human   schemes  sacrifice  one  attribute  to 


(     257     ) 

tiie  honour  of  another  ;  usually  justice  and  holi- 
ness to  mercy  and  benevolence.      '  Here  '  mercy 

*  and  truth    meet    together  ;     righteousness   and 

*  peace  kiss  each  other.' 

The  gospel  exhibits  a  unity  of  design,  a  beau- 
tiful simplicity  and  proportion  in  all  its  parts. 
Such  is  the  relation  and  connexion  between  the 
truths  of  revelation,  that  one  cannot  be  reje^led 
or  denied  alone.  They  are  links  of  the  same 
chain,  which  is  broken  if  one  be  lost.  The  doc- 
trine of  human  depravity  connects  with  that  of 
gratuitous  pardon.  The  doctrine  of  human  im- 
becility with  that  of  divine  influences  ;  and  so 
of  the  others.  Each  truth  hath  also  its  appropri- 
ate station  in  the  system  ;  and  the  various  doc- 
trines are  like  the  steps  of  Jacob's  Ladder  ;  they 
conne6l  earth  and  heaven.  •■  For  whom  he  pre- 
'  destinated,  them  he  also  called  ;   whom  he  call- 

*  ed,  them  he    also  justified  ;   and  whom  he  jus- 

*  tified,  them  he  also  glorified.' 

The  beauty  of  the.  gospel,  I  have  said,  arises 
in  great  measure  from  its  simplicity.  It  has  in- 
deed been  loaded  with  rites  and  ceremonies  ;  but 
these  are  meretricious  ornaments,  altogether  fo- 
reign and  unsuitable.  Truth  is  like  the  Ionic 
column,  which  charms  from  its  simplicity  ;  and 
when  disguised  by  foreign  ornaments  is  like  the 
same  pillar  loaded  with  the  votive  gifts,  the  cockle- 
shells and  relicks  of  pilgrims. — It  is  the  same,  but 
it  is  obscured — it  is  degraded. 

2.  The  scene   before  us  may  represent  the  se- 
Kk 


(     ^5S     ) 

ciirity  and  permanency  of  the  gospel.  The  gos- 
pel indeed  first  spread,  not  onl}^  ^vithout,  but  in 
opposition  to  all  the  powers  on  earth.  Uncoun* 
tenanced  and  unprote6led,  who  could  have  thought 
that  twelve  poor  fishermen  could  have  propagated 
through  the  'svorld  a  system  so  unflattering  to  hu- 
man vanity,  so  repulsive  to  human  passions  ?  But 
they  were  not  unprotected.  Of  this  chariot  it 
is  said  that  threescore  valient  men  are  about  it, 
i.  e.  that  it  is  securely  guarded.  So  was  the  gos- 
pel. Not  by  human  wisdom  or  human  might ; 
but  by  the  Spirit  and  the  power  of  God.  This 
guard  is  like  that  of  the  prophet  Elijah  : — He 
appeared  unprotected  and  alone,  and  his  servant 
trembled  at  the  surrounding  hosts — ^'  O  my  father, 

*  the  chariots  of  Israel,  and  the  horsemen   there- 

*  of !  But  when  his  eyes  were  opened,  behold 
the  mountain  was  filled  with  chariots  ,and  horses 
of  fire.     Such  has  been  the  security  of  the  gospel. 

*  A  hand  unseen'  has  protected  it  against  all  the 
powers  of  tyranny  and  persecution  :  and  hence 
it  remains  to  this  day,  and  shall  survive  all  its 
enemies  and  opposers. 

How  often  have  the  princes  of  the  world  threat- 
ened to  annihilate  the  gospel !  And  when  the 
sword  has  failed,  and  there  has  appeared  no  hope 
of  destroying  it  by  force,  the  powers  of  wit,  of 
genius,  and  of  learning,  have  confederated  to 
oppos^  it.  For  a  moment  they  partially  suc- 
ceeded, and  bec'-an  to  rear  their  monuments  of 
victory.  But  already  the  colossus  of  infidelity 
begins  to  crumble,  and^^the  stone  cut  out  of  the 


(     259     ) 

tnountain  without  hands  shall  fall  on  it  and  grind 
it  into  powder \ 

3.  The  gospel  is  a  system  of  benevolence  and 
iovc.  Of  this  chariot  it  is  said,  that  it  is  '  lined 
*  with  love;'  that  is  probably,  the  lining  .  vvas 
wrought  with  amatory  emblems — of  vvhich  this 
book  might  furnish  a  variety — as  the  rose  and 
lily,  the  dove,  the  mandrake,  and  many  others'-. 
Apply  this  to  the  gospel — it  is  lined  ivith  loi^e — 
it  is  full  of  love — for  what  is  the  gospel  but  the 
good  news  of  the  love  of  God  to  sinners  ?  And 
what  is  its  design,  but  to  kindle  the  purest  love 
in  the  hearts  of  believers,  both  toward  God  and 
to  each  other  ?  While  this  scheme  of  salvation 
ascribes  "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,"  it  pro- 
claims also  *'  peace  on  earth,  and  good  will  to- 
"  wards  men." 

This  carriage  was  lined  with  love  by  the  daugh- 
ters of  Jerusalem,  and  probably  received  as  a 
present yro;^  them  ^  ;  for  we  knov/  that  the  Jew- 
ish women  excelled  in  needle-work  and  embroi- 

1  Sec  Dan.  ii.  35.  and  Matt.  xxi.  44. 

2  Lady  M.  W.  Montague  observes,  the  inside  of  the 
Turkish  coaches  is  painted  with  baskets  and  nosegays  of 
flowers  intermixed  commonly  with  little  poetical  mottoes. 
And  it  appears  by  a  quotation  just  given,  (p.  254)  that  the 
Asiatic  palanquins  are  embellished  in  a  manner  somewhat 
similar. 

3  The  preposition  mem  (n)  is  not  most  usually  hy  but 
from',  in  the  present  instance  it  probably  includes  both. — 
LeClerc  says,  '  Mediamque  stratam  puellarum  Jerosolymi- 
'  tarum  amore  ;'  and  Bp.  Percj,  '  The  middle  thereof  is 
<  wrought  [in  needle-work]  by  the  daugliters  of  Jerusuleni, 
'  [as  a  testimony  of  their]  Icve-.' 


(     260     ) 

dery  :  and  it  appears  from  this  song,  that  it  M^as 
not  uncommon  for  the  virgins,  her  attendants, 
to  make  presents  to  the  bride.  May  not  this  be 
considered  as  an  image  of  the  gospel  adorned 
by  the  lives  of  its  professors  ?  especially  young 
converts,  whose  zeal  and  love  are  often  eminent- 
ly conspicuous  ? 

4.  The  gospel  dispensation  contains  a  grand 
display  of  the  royal  mediatorial  glories  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  It  is  not  the  chariot  only,  but  he  that 
rideth  in  the  chariot  who   merits  our  admiration. 

*  Go  forth  and  view  King  Solomon  :*  but  behold 
'  A  greater  than  Solomon  is  here.'  Jesus  the 
true  prince  of  pcace^  in  whom  are  hid  all  the 
treasures  of  wisdom  and  of  knowledge.  And  it 
is  a  leading  design  of  the  gospel  to  exhibit  him 
in  his  crown — in  all  the  glories  of  his  original 
dignity,  and  mediatorial  chara^Sler, 

The  gospel  exhibits  Jesus  in  all  the  glories  of 
his  primeval  dignity — '  He  was  in  the  form  of 
'  God,  and  thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  equal 
*■  with  God.' — '  The  Word  was  with  God,  and  the 
'  Word  was  God. — '  The  brightness  of  his  Fa- 
'■  tiler's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person.' 

But  we  have  here  chiefly  to  contemplate  his  me- 
diatorial glory,  and  especially  his  kingly  office— 
liCt  us  JTO  forth    and   l)ehold    Kincr  Jesus — *  the 

*  King  of  kings,  and  the  Lord  of  lords.' 

The  kingdom  of  Christ  has  been  greatly  mista- 
ken both  by  his  enemies  and  friends.  '  We 
'  have  no  king  but  Cssar,'  said  the  former  insinu- 


(     261     ) 

ating  that  his  authority  was  inconsistent  with  the 
civil  power ;  and  often  has  this  charge  been  rei- 
terated on  his  followers ;  and  stirred  up  more 
persecution  than  any  other  pretence.  '  If  thou  let 
this  man  go,  thou  art  not  Ccesar's  friend,'  stifled 
all  the  feelings  of  humanity  in  Pilate,  as  it  has 
since  done  in  many  others,  who  prefer  Caesar's 
plaudit  and  rewards  to  the  approbation  of  the  great 
Supreme. 

'  But  my  kingdom,'    said  the  Redeemer,    *  is 

*  not  of  this  world.'  Let  us  enquire  briefly  in 
what  respeiSls  it  chiefly  stands  distinguished. 
First,  It  is  not  a  temporal  kingdom.  Jesus  did 
not  aspire  to  the  throne  of  Herod,  or  of  Czesar. 
He  levied  no  army,  and  he  assumed  no  state  :  and 
I  am  persuaded  that  he  never  will.  That  millen- 
nial dream,  which  brings  him  to  reside  on  earth, 
and  gives  him  a  temporal  dominion,  debases  the 
King  of  glory  to    an  earthly   prince.     '  Behold, 

*  the  heaven  is  his  throne,  and  the  earth  his  foot- 

*  stool!' 

Nor  is  the  kingdom  of  Christ  a  mere  exercise 
of  his  authority  in  the  churches,  or  congregations 
of  his  professing  people  :  it  may  be  a  part,  but  it 
is  a  very  inferior  branch  of  his  sovereignty.  In 
sliort,  his  kingdom  is  in  the  hearts  of  men  :   '  Thy 

*  people  shall  be  willing  in  the  day  of  thy  power.' 
And  such  is  that  power,  that  these  volunteers  of 
grace  shall  be  numerous  as  the  dew  drops  of  mor- 
ning ;  and  *  in  the  beauty  of  holiness'  shall  they 
be  inlisted,  and  enrolled ' , 

i  Ps.  ex. 


(     262     ) 

But  his  dominion  is  not  only  in  the  hearts  of 
his  friends,  but  of  his  enemies.     *  He    is  King  of 

*  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords.'     '  The    king's  heart 

*  is  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  and  he  turneth   it,  as 

*  be  doth  the  rivers  of  waters,  v/hithcrsoever  he 
'  plcascth.'  The  empire  of  his  Providence  is  uni- 
versal— supreme — eternal. 

5.  The  croivn  here  more  particularly  referred 
to  appears  to  be  the  nuptial  crovvn — '  the  crown 

*  wherewith  his  mother  crowned  him  in  the  day 
^  of  his  espousals.'  Nuptial  crowns  were  com> 
mon  both  with  the  Jews  and  Greeks  ;  among  the 
latter  the  bride  vvas  crowned  by  her  mother,  and 
it  should  seem  by  this  allusion,  as  Bp.  Percy  ob- 
serves, that  the  same  custom  obtained  among  the 
Hebrev.'s'.  On  inferior  occasions  these  might 
be  only  flovvxry  garlands''  ;  but  as  the  v.'ord  here 
used  is  elsewhere  taken  for  a  royal  and  a  golden 
crown  %  it  is  most  probable  that  such  a  crown  is 
to  be  understood  here.     '  The  day  of  his  espou- 

*  sals,  is,  more  literally,  the  day  of  his  contracting 

*  aiiinity  by  marriage;'  in  which  I  conceive  is  a 
particular  allusion  to  the  marriage  of  Solomon 
with  Pharaoh's  daughter  ;  This  might  well  be 
called  '  the  dav  of  the  gladness  of  his  heart,'  as  it 
allied  him  to  the  king  of  Egypt,  the  first  sove- 
reign of  the  age,  (next  to  Solomon;)  as  well  as 
because  it  put  him  in  possession  of  his  beloved 
bride. 

1  i::zci;.    -ivi.  8,  12.       »  Wisdom,  ii.  7.       »  Ps.  xxi.  3. 


(     263     ) 

Some  readers  may  expert  me  to  be  minute, 
and  to  distinguish  the  mother,  the  bride,  and 
the  dauditers  of  Zion  here  referred  to  ;  but  I  con- 
ceive  this  minuteness  to  be  the  bane  of  just  inter- 
pretation of  scripture  allegories ;  and  that  the 
church,  or  true  believers,  may  be  considered  in 
certain  respe6ls  linder  different  relations  to  Christy 
is  evident  from  his  own  words  :  '  He  that  heareth 
'  my  v/ords,  and  keepeth  them,  the  same  is  my 
'  mother,  and  my  sister,  and  my  brother.' 

Should  I  be  asked,  v/hich  is  the  day  of  the  fj-lad- 
fiess  of  the  Redeemer'' s  heart  F  I  v;culd  ans\vTr, 
that  day  in  which  his  people  become  related  to 
him  by  their  covenant  engagements,  and  united 
to  him  by  living  faith  ;  vvhich  may  be  called  the 
day  of  their  espousals.  Then  they  become  his 
jewels — his  joy — his  crown  ;  and  tlien  they  unite 
with  the  v/hole  company  in  heaven  and  on  earth 
to  '  crov/n  him  Lord  of  all.*' 

I  have  one  more  remark  to  add  on  this  chap- 
ter, which  I  borrow  from  Mr.  Dcrham  ;  namely, 
that  there  seems  to  be  a  gradation  in  these  ver- 
ses. First,  the  spouse  speaks  of  Solomon — then 
of  Kin^  Solomon,  and  lastly  of  King  Solomon  in 
his  croiv?i ;  on  which  that  savoury  commentator 
remarks,  that  the  longer  the  church  Cwhom  he 
supposes  to  be  the  speaker)  '  speaks  of  Christ, 
'  and  insists  in  mentioning  his  excellency,  her 
*  thoughts  draw  the  deeper,  she  sets  him  up  the 
'  higher,  and  becomes  v/armer  in  her  apprehen- 
'  sions,  aiieftions,  and  expressions  concerning 
'  him.' 


(     2G-4     ) 


SECriON    VIL 

Chap.  IV.  Ver  1 — 6. 

Eridegronm.   Behold  thou  art  beautiful,  my  consort ; 
Ik'hold  thou  art  beautiful  ! 
Tliiuc  eyes  arq  doves,  behind  thy  veil. 
Thy  hair  is  like  a  flock  of  goats, 
^^■hich  come  op  sleek  from  [mounti]  Gllead. 
Thy  teeth  are  like  a- flock  [newly]  shorn. 
Which  ascend  from  the  washing; 
Ail  of  them  bearing  twins, 
And  none  of  tlieni  misciXi-ryin^. 
iJke  a  brede  of  scarlet  are  thy  lips, 
And  ti)y  speech  is  agreeable, 
l-ike  l!ie  flower  of  the  pomegranate 
Are  thy  cheeks  behind  thy  veil. 
Thy  neck  is  like  the   tower  of  David,  builded 

for  an  armory  : 
A  ll^.ousand  bucklers  hang  thereon, 
All  shields  of  mighty  men. 
Thy  two  breasts  are  iilie  twin  faw^ns  of  the  aji- 

telope. 
Feeding  among  the  lilies. 
Until    the     day    breathe,  and    the    shades    flee 

away  2, 
I  will  get  me  to  the  mountain  of  myrrh, 
[^And]  to  the  hill  of  frankincense. 


THE  royal  pair  having-  alighted  from  their 
carriage,    Dr.    Percy     supposes    the    ceremony 

'  'I  he  word  ^-in)  vicunt  is  wanting  in  nine  MSS.  LXX. 
and   Arabic,  and  seems  to  clog  the  sense. 

■2  The  travels  of  Egmont  and  Heyman  mention  that  the 
summer  heats  on  the  coast  of  the  Holy  Land  are  greatly 
moderated  by  the  sea  breezes  every  morning  and  evening. 
(See  Ilarmer  on  Sol.  Song,  p.  283,  4.)  And  the  late  Mr. 
I\obinso7i^  of  Cambridge,  mentioned,  on  the  autiiority  of 
his  son,/ who  was   then  at   Smyrna,  '  that  every  morning, 

*  about  sunrise,  a  fresh  gale  of  v/ind  blew  from  the  sea 
'  across  the  land,  which,  from  its  wholesomeness  and 
'  uiiliiy  in  clearing   the   infecled  air,  is  always   called  the 

*  Doctor.'     Christian's  Elegant  Repository,  p.  33. 
3   Neiu'Iy^siicty  iViS.  omit  this  \  and. 


(     265     ) 

t)f"  unveiling  the  bride'  here  to  follow,  and  give 
occasion  to  his  encomium  on  those  features  which 
the  veil  in  great  measurfe  concealed,  as  the  eyes, 
the  cheeks,  the  teeth,  &c.  This  ceremony  was 
performed  among  the  Greeks  on  the  third  day, 
when  the  bride  appeared  first  in  company  without 
her  veil,  and  on  this  occasion  received  presents 
from  her  husband.  Something  like  this  might 
be  the  custom  among  the  Hebrews,  with  whom 
also  this  was  a  most  essential  article  of  dress. 

But  I  am  by  no  means  satisfied,  either  that  the 
Hebrews  had  such  a  custom,  or  if  they  had,  that 
it  is  here  alluded  to ;  on  the  contrary,  verse  3; 
seems  to  intimate  that  she  was  still  veiled  :  and 
I  observe  that  the  eastern  poets  celebrate  tho 
charms  of  the  fair  through  their  veils,  and  im- 
prove this  circumstance  into  an  elegant  compli- 
ment*. 

In  running  over  the  various  beauties  of  her  per- 
son he  compares  her  eyes^  as  before  %  to  doves — - 


*  The  Hebrew  particle  (lyan)  has  been  rendered  both 
within^  without,  and  bthiml;  the  last  seems  the  more  exact 
meaning-,  as  wvaj  be  see  nin  Parkhurst :  i.  e.  her  eyes  beaming- 
from  behind  her  veil,  as  it  is  withdrawn,  are  compared  to 
doves.  That  ri?3X  Tsammat  signifies  the  tje/Y,  rather  than 
the  locks,  as  in  the  common  version,  is  the  opinion  oi  Pat- 
rick, Parkhurst,  Harmer^  Percy,  aiid  most  modern  exposi- 
tors.     So  Symmachus  in  loc.  and  LXX.  in  Is.  xlvii.  2. 

^  So  Hafez,  *  thy  cheeks  sparkle  even  under  thy  veil.' 
Sir  W  Jones's  Works,  vol.  I.  45  3. 

Anbther  Persian  poet  says,  '  It  is  difficult  to  gaze  upon 
(he  Sun  without  the  medium  of  a  cloud  : — View,  therefore, 
O  Saieb,  the  lovely  face  of  thy  mistress  through  her  veil.' 
Orient.   Coll.  vol.  II.   23. 

^  Chap.  i.  15.  , 

LI 


(     466     ) 

ber  ba'ir^  for  its  sleekness  and  abundance,  to  a 
flock  of  goats  from  Gileud '  — and  her  tceth^  for 
their  whiteness,  evenness,  and  uniformity,  to  a 
shorn  flock — to  a  flock  of  ewes  bearing  twins,  and 
none  coming  before  their  time^ .  Her  lips  also  he 
compares  to  scarlet  threads,  and  commends  her 
speech  as  agreeable  and  charming. 

The  next  article  of  the  comparison  is  more 
difficult  to  adjust.  If  we  were  to  preserve  the 
common  version,  '  thy  temples  within  thy  locks,* 
we  might  say  the  forehead  was  divided  by  tlie 
locks  of  hair  into  compartments  like  those  of  the 
pomegranate  ;  but  I  confess  myself  satisfied  that 
the  word  for  the  temples^  must  as  learned  men 
have  observed,  include,  or  rather  intend,  the 
cheeks,  which  are  always  a  prominent  objedl  in 
the  description  of  female  beauty  ;  and  the  compa- 

*  The  word  mount  is  omitted  in  several  MSS.  the  LXX, 
and  Arabic,  as  in  chap.  vi.  5.  Its  omission  makes  a  verjr 
slight  variation  in  the  original,  and  its  insertion  rather 
clogs  and  obscures  the  verse,  the  sense  of  which  is  at  best 
equivocal.  Either,  1.  Up  from  Gilead  to  Jerusalem  means 
from  the  country  to  the  capital,  as  from  Highgate  up  to 
London — so  Percy;  or  2.  from  the  lower  to  the  higher 
parts  of  the  mountain — Bochart  and  Patrick  ;  or  3.  the 
words  may  perhaps  be  rendered,  which  shine  (or  browse) 
upon  Mount  Gilead,  covering  Jt  from  bottom  to  top — Dr. 
Hunt.  Gilead  appears  to  liave  been  a  place  famous  for  pas- 
turage, and  probably  they  used  to  sheer  sheep  at  the  bot- 
tom of  it. 

Some  expositors  suppose  the  hair  and  teeth  are  compared 
to  the  hair  of  goats  and  teeth  of  sheep  ;  the  similarity  may 
be  exaCl  enough,  but  this  idea  is  far  from  natural  or  ele- 
gant. 

2  Bp.  Percy  follows  Le  Clerc  in  rendering  n")73''Kn)D  sim- 
ply twins,  and  nbDiy  orUi,  deprived,  as  in  Jer.  xviii.  21. — '  all 
'  of  them  twins,  and  none  hath  lost  its  fellow.'    New  TranS' 

s  ^^lp^,  MrAoy  a-ou,  LXX— Geux  tux  ;  Vulgate,  Papiinusy 
Coceeius, 


(     267     ) 

rison  of  these  to  the  Jloiver  of  the  pomegranate^ 
is,  according  to  Sir  W.  Jones,  a  common  image 
in  Asiatic  poetry.  Farther,  if  the  bridal  veil  of 
the  Hebrew  ladies  was  like  that  of  the  Persians*, 
made  of  r<?^  silk  or  muslin,  it  would  throw  a  glow 
over  the  whole  countenance,  that  will  account 
more  fully  for  this  comparison. — If  my  reader, 
however,  adheres  to  our  translators  in  render- 
ing it  '  a  piece,*  or  se6lion  "■  of  the  pomegranate,' 
it  may  be  remarked  that  the  fruit  itself,  ivhen  cut 
open,  \%  red,  as  well  as  the  blossom  ^ . 

The  spouse's  neek,  adorned  with  necklaces,  is 
compared  to  the  tower  of  David,  which  was 
built  for  an  armory,  hung  with  shields  and 
bucklers.  Of  this  tower  we  know  nothing  cer- 
tain, but  that  from  the  comparison  it  must  have 
been  tall,  slender,  ere6l  and  elegant.  Such  the 
the  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon  is  supposed  to 
have  been,  which  was  furnished  Avith  many 
hundred    shields   and   targets   of  beaten   gold"^, 


^  nbs,  Eruptio  floris,  Simonis  :  Balaustinm,  Guarin'i. 
<  As  the  opening  blossom  of  the  pomegranate.'  Patrick 
after  Castell^  and  Henley    in  Lowth's  Le6l. 

2  The  bridal  veil  of  the  Persian  ladies  was  of  red  silk  oi* 

muslin,  (called  by  the  Greeks  sasvoj,    and   by    the    Romans 

Jlammeum.)     Such  was  Rebecca's  veil  (iTij/s:)  Gen.  xxiv.  65. 

and  the  n*ibn,  Isa.  iii.  19,   according  X.o  Schroedcr.     Orient, 

Col.  vol.   I.  p.  125. 

'  '  Thy  cheeks  are  as  a  piece  of  pomegranate,'  which 
when  cut  up  is  of  a  beautiful  vei-milion. — Dr.  Dm-ell.  <  Like 
*  a  slice  of  pomegranate  are  thy  cheeks.'  Dr.  Hodi^son. 

*  See  2  Chron.  ix.  16.  comp.  with  Isa.  xxii.  8.  Mr.  Sandys 
fays,  this  tower  of  David  was  a  high  tower,  '  in  the  utmost 


(     268     ) 

Intended  no  doubt  to  do  honour  to  those  brave 
men  who  signalized  themselves  in  the  defence  of 
their  country.  The  metaphor  intimates  that,  thus 
adorned,  her  appearance  was  brilliant  and  capti- 
vating, and  her  charms  as  potent  as  the  armour  of 
the  warrior. 

The  description  closes  with  the  breasts,  Avhich 
arc  compared  to  twin  laims  of  the  antelope  or 
gazel,  feeding  among  the  lilies.  Bochart', 
and  others,  explain  this  of  the  nipples  upon  the 
bosom,  like  young  gazels  in  the  corn-fields,  where 
the  lilies  were  wont  to  grow  :  but  I  have  my 
doubts  whether  any  thing  more  is  hitended  than 
to  describe  them  as  beautiful,  and  elegant  in  form, 
like  those  lovely  animals ;  which  appear  to  be  a 
favourite  object:  of  comparison  with  the  writer, 
not  only  in  this  song,  but  also  in  the  book  of  Pro- 
mcrbs,  where  he  recommends  fidelity  to  the  mar- 
riage covenant  in  these  figurative  terms — r'  Re- 
joice with  the  wife  of  thy  youth.  Let  her  be  as 
the  loving  hind  and  pleasant  roe  ;  let  her  breasts 
satisfy  thee  at  all  times,  and  be  thou  ravished  with 
her  love " . ' 

In  the  concluding  verse  the  king  compares 
his  bride  to  a  mountain  of  myrrh,  or  hill  of 
frankincense,  alluding  to  those  fragrant  groves 
of  spices  which  were  to  be  found  in    that  coun- 


*  angle  of  a  mountain,  v/hose  ruins  are  still  extant.'  As  the 
Jews  built  with  white  stone  or  marble,  this  has  been  sup- 
posed a  compliment  to  the  spouses  complexion.- — But  s.ee 
note  on  chap.  vii.  4. 

1  Hierozoic.  torn.  I.  b.  iii.  c.  24. 

2  Chap.  v.  19, 


(     269     ) 

try'  ;  and  implying  the  same  sentiment  ex- 
pressed in  a  subsequent  chapter,  concerning  the 
beloved — '  His    mouth    is    most    sweet,    yea,   he 

*  is  altogether  loiiely.^  In  this  verse  is  also  an 
allusion  to  the  chorus  in  a  preceding  chapter, 
where  the  beloved  is  compared  to  an  antelope^ 
(as  he  has  just  compared  the  breasts  of  the 
spouse  to  its  twin  fauns)  and  he  intimates  in 
reply,  that  as  the  antelope  flies  to  the  moun- 
tains,  so  would  he  hie  to  the  arms  of  his  bride  ; 
and   as    she  had  expressed  her  desire,    '  until  the 

*  day  breathe  and  the  shades  flee  away,'  he  would 
solace  himself  in  her  chaste  embraces*. 

-  The  whole  of  the  above  description  com- 
prizes maturity,  health,  portliness  and  beauty ; 
which  are  the  general  ideas  suggested  by  the 
imagery,  and  might  each  be  a  little  amplified 
without  the  violation  of  propriety  or  indeco- 
rum ;  but  it  is  here  unnecessary,  as  they  all  oc- 
cur separately  in  different  passages  of  the 
poem  :    I   shall    only   therefore    suggest   a    few 

1  It  is  said  of  Pompey  the  Great,  that  when  he  passed 
over  Lebanon,  and  by  Damascus,  he  passed  through  fweet- 
amnelling  groves  and  woods  of  frankincense  and  balsam. 
Florus  de  gest.  de  Rom.  1.  3.  c.  5. 

The  eastern  poets,  supposing  angels  not  to  be  pxire  in- 
telligences, feign  that  they  have  bodies  of  musk  and  amber, 
an  image  very  similar  to  this  of  Solomon.  See  Harmer  on 
Sol.  Song,  p.  290. 

The  'oau  (l)  in  the  last  line  of  this  verse  rendei'ed  and,  15 
omitted  in  nearly  sixty  MSS.  but  is  found  in  the  LXX. 

3  This  may  seem  hardly  consistent  with  what  is  ob- 
served above,  of  the  new  married  pair  being  separate,  after 
the  first  night,  during  the  remainder  of  the  nuptial  week  ; 
but  perhaps  that  custom  might  not  be  so  rigid  as  to  admit 
no  exception,  especiiilly  wheji  the  bridegroom  was  a  so- 
vereign prince. 


(     270     ) 

hints  on  some  purticular  branches  of  the  descrip- 
tion. 

Fine  hair  was  not  only  an  esteemed  beauty 
among  the  Hebrews  (witness  the  instance  of  Ab- 
soloin)  but  was  considered  as  a  natural  veil,  and 
in  married  women,  a  sign  of  subjection  to  the 
matrimonial  yoke ' .  This  applies  to  the  church  ; 
for  as  '  the  husband  is  the  head  of  the  wife,'  even 
so  is  '  Christ  the  head  of  the  church  ;'  and  as 
wives  should  be  in  subje6lion  '  to  their  own  hus- 
bands,' so  should  the  church  be  subject  unto 
Christ  '  in  all  things.' 

We  have  already  considered  the  graces  of  the 
Spirit  as  the  ornaments  of  the  church,  more  pre- 
cious than  gold  or  silver,  or  precious  stones.  It 
seems  from  the  figurative  language  here  used, 
that  these  female  ornaments  were  often  wrought 
in  the  shape  of  shields  and  bucklers ;  as,  among 
us,  the  ladies  wear  jewels  in  the  form  of  hearts 
and  anchors.  These  significant  ornaments, 
wrought  in  the  necklace,  would  give  the  female 
neck  tKe  appearance  of  what  poetry  would  call,  a 
Mttlc  armory  :  and  in  these  ornaments  we  may  far- 
ther trace  the  resemblance  of  the  Christian  graces. 
The  g oleic ji  shields  of  faith  adorn  the  neck  of  the 
church,  and  of  the  believer.  And,  as  it  has  been 
hinted  that  these  golden  shields  and  bucklers  were 
hung  up  in  the  tower  of  David  in  honour  of  his 
worthies,  and  to  excite  others  to  similar  achieve- 
ments :  so  hath  the  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  exhibited  the  shields,  (i.  c.  the  faith)  of 

1  1  Cor.  xi.  15- 


(     271     ) 

Old  Testament  believers,  in  honour  to  them,  and 
as  an  encouragement  to  us. 

What  may  be  particularly  signified  by  the 
breasts  of  the  church,  will  be  examined  more 
particularly  when  we  come  to  the  last  chapter 
of  this  book.  At  present  I  would  only  observe, 
the  comparison  here  employed  may  be,  chiefly 
designed  to  intimate,  that  the  bosom  of  the 
church,  and  of  the  believer,  is  the  seat  of  purity, 
tenderness  and  affection ;  or,  as  Mrs.  Rowe  ex- 
presses it : 

'  Her  breasts  the  seat  of  innocence  and  truth, 
'  Harmless  and  pure  as  twins  of  p;entle  roes, 
'  Which  in  some  fragrant  spot  of  lilies  feed.' 

When  the  heavenly  bridegroom  speaks  of  seek- 
ing, and  resting  in  the  chaste  embraces  of  his 
church,  every  wanton  idea  should  be  at  infinite 
distance.  In  different  passages  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, the  Lord  is  said  to  delight  himself,  and  to 
take  pleasure  in  his  saints — to  rejoice  over  his 
church  as  a  bridegroom  in  his  bride — to  rest  in 
his  love — and  to  rejoice  with  singing.  Expres- 
sions which  describe  in  the  strongest  manner  that 
communion  of  the  saints  with  their  Redeemer 
which  is  the  leading  subje6l  of  this  poem. 

'  Come,  let  me  love  :  or  is  my  mind 
'  Harden'd  to  stone,  or  froze  to  ice  ? 
'  I  see  the  blessed  Fair-one  bend, 
'  And  stoop  t'  embrace  me  from  the  skies. 

'  O  1  'tis  a  thought  would  melt  a  rock, 
*  And  make  a  heart  ©f  iron  move, 
'  That  those  sweet  lips,  that  heav'nly  look^ 
'  Should  seek  and  wish  a  mortal  love  1' 


WATTS. 


(  ^n  ) 


SECTION  VIIL 


Chap.  IV.  Ver.  7,  8. 

Thou  art  all  beautiful,  my  consort, 

And  blemish  is  not  ih  thee. 

CoTTie  unto  me  from  Lebanon,  O  spouse, 

[Come]  unto  me  from  Lebanon. 

Look  from  the  top  of  Amana, 

From  the  top  of  Shenir  and  Herm.on  ; 

From  the  dens  of  the  lions, 

From  the  mountains  of  tiie  leopards. 


FROM  the  queen  being  here  first,  and  in  this 
section  only,  called  the  bride  or  spouse^  it  has 
been  coficluded  that  this  section  immediately 
follows  the  consummation  of  the  marriage  :  but 
this  is  by  no  means  certain.  Admitting  that  cir- 
cumstance to  be  alluded  to,  surely  it  was  not  im- 
proper at  two  or  three  days  distance ;  and,  as  to 
the  word  itself,  it  seems  not  so  properly  to  express 
the  bride's  connexion  with  her  husband,  as  her 
relation  to  his  family'. 

It  is  difficult,  and  of  little  importance,  to  as* 
certain  exa6lly  the  mountains  here  referred  to, 
farther  than  that  they  formed  the  boundaries  of 
the  coimtry,  and   were   dangerous  to  travellers, 
as  bcinp*  the  haunts  of  wild  beasts,  and  of  men* 


*  The  word  Calah  (nb3),  says  IMr.  Parhhiirst^  is  a  ternnt 
of  afl'ection  and  esteem,  used  to  express  the  relation  of  a 
son's  wife  to  his  father  and  mother,  q.  d.  tx  perfect  one ; 
so  the  French  call  a  daughter-in-law  une  belle  fille  ;  i.  e.  a 
fine  daut^hter.  See  Gen.  xi.  31.  I  Sam.  iv.  19,  &c.  The 
pronoun  my  is  not  used  with  this  word  in  the  original. 


(     273     ) 

l^rhaps  little  less  savage  and  ferocious^  The. 
general  import  of  the  invitation  is,  however,  suf- 
ficiently clear;  namely,  that  the  king  invites* 
the  bride  to  his  arms,  as  a  place  of  complete  se» 
curity  from  all  the  dangers  to  which  she  had  beeiij 
or  might  in  future  be -exposed.  The  envy  of  her 
brothers  had  driven  her  among  the  vineyards, 
which  usually  were  planted  in  the  mountains — 
her  own  fears,  had  made  her  like  a  dove  hiding 
in  the  rocks  :  but  now,  secure  in  the  bosom  of 
the  wise,  the  mighty,  the  puissant  Solomon,  she 
might  look  around  with  confidence  and  pleasure^ 
and  smile  at  enemies  and  dangers. 

The  application  of  this  sentiment  is  clear  and 
natural.  Where  can  the  church,  or  the  believer, 
find  safety,  or  happiness,  or  comfort,  but  in  the 
arms  of  her  beloved  ? — Mr.  Harmer  thinks  that 
the  mountains  of  prey  (as  the  Psalmist  calls 
them  ^ )  are  here  used  for  the  regions  of  idolatry^ 
■of  which  Egypt  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable^ 

1  Amona  seetns  to  be  the  same  as  Abana,  2  Kings  v.  12. 
(where  the  Keri  reads  Amana).  So  the  Targum  on  this 
place.  These  were  all  perhaps  different  parts  of  the  same 
tidge  of  mountains,  reaching  to  a  considerable  extent,  and 
separating  Judea  from  Syria.     Dr.  Blair  remarks,  '  Every 

<  thing  in  description  should  be  as  marked  and  particular 
*,as  possible,  in  order  to  imprint  on  the  mind  a  distin6t 
*  and  complete  image.     A  hill,  a  river,  or  a  lake  rises  up 

'  more   conspicuous   to   the   fancy,  when  some  particular 

<  lake,  or  river,  or  hill  is  specified,  than   \vhen  the  terms 

<  are  left  general  ;'  and  here  the  learned  professor  quotes 
the  verses  xmder  consideration  as  examples.  Lecl.  XL» 
vol.  III. 

^   The  Hebrew  is  not  imperative  but  future. 
*   Psal.  Ixxvi.  4. 

Mm 


(     274     ) 

And  certainly,  if  Pharaoh's  daughter  was,  as  we 
have  all  along  supposed,  a  proselyte  to  the  wor- 
ship of  Jehovah,  it  must  be  no  small  comfort 
and  satisfa<51:ion  to  her  to  reside  where  that  \\or- 
ship  was  established,  and  where  she  could  be 
under  no  fear  of  persecution  or  reproach  on  ac- 
count of  her  religion.     >-^ 

The  import  of  the  original  word  for  spouse  leads 
us  to  remarks,  in  passim^  that  the  same  a6\  of 
union  which  unites  us  to  Christ,  the  spiritual 
bridegroom,  introduces  us  also  into  the  family 
of  heaven,  and  makes  us  '  sons  and  daughters  of 
'  the  Lord  Alnii"htv.'  The  encomium  on  the 
spouse  must  bring  to  our  recolIe6lion  his  infinite 
grace,  who  '  loved  the  church,  and  gave  himself 
'  for  it ;  that  he  might  present  it  to  himself  a  glo- 
'  rious  church,  7iot  ha'uing  spot  or  ivrinkle^  or 
*  any  such  thing;'  but  '  that  it  should  be  holy,. 
■*  and  without  bleinish.'' 

Chap.  lY.  Vcr.  9—11. 

Bridegroom.  Thou  hast  ravished  my  heart,  my  sister,  [my] 
spouse, 

Thou  hast  ravished  my  heart  with  one  of  thine 
eyes, 

With  one  chain  of  thy  neck. 

How  beautiful  is  thy  love,  my  sister,  ["^yl 
spouse  ; 

How  much  more  excellent  than  wine, 

And  the  odour  of  thine  ointments  than  all  per- 
fumes ! 

Thy  lips,  O  spouse,  drop  [as]  the  honey-comb  ; 

Honey  and  milk  are  under  thy  tonsjue  : 

And  the  odour  of  thy  garments  is  as  the  odour 
of  Lebanon. 

There  is  a  singularity  in  this  imagery  which 


(     275     ) 

has  much  perplexed  the  critics,  and  perhaps  it  is 
not  possible  to  ascertain  the  meaning  of  the  poet 
'lDe3^ond  a  doutjt.  Supposing  the  royal  bride- 
groom  to  have  had  a  profile,  or  side  viexv  of  his 
bride  m  the  present  instance,  only  one  eye,  or 
one  side  of  her  necklace  would  be  observable  ; 
yet  this  charms  and  overpowers  him\  Tertul- 
LiAN  mentions  a  custom  in  the  east,  of  women 
unveiling  only  one  eye  in  conversation,  while 
they  keep  the  other  covered  :  and  Nie  buhr  men- 
tions a  like  custom  in  some  parts  of  Arabia''. 
This  brings  us  to  nearly  the  same  interpretation 
as  the  above. 

Some  authors  think  it  necessary  to  supply  a 
word  here,  and  read  '  one  glance  from  thine 
*  eyes^  :'  and,  in  the  next  member  of  the  sen- 
tence, instead  of  one  chain,  '  one  turn  of  thy 
*neck;'  and  this  certainly   agrees  with  the  Asi- 


*  So  Ainstvorih,  Harmer,  &c.  The  original  for '  thou 
'  hast  ravished  my  heart'  is  but  one  word  ("•aniib),  and  sig- 
nifies unhearted,  as  it  is  rendered  by  the  LXX.  {s>cxpoiu;ax5)y 
Aben  Ezra^  Sec.  Some  have  indeed  attempted  to  t^ive  a 
contrary  meaninij,  as,  hiving  heartened  him,  butj;his  is  ex- 
tremely unnatural  and  inelegant.  To  skin  is  to  take  off  the 
r.kin  ;  and  to  embowel,  to  take  out  the  bowels.  When  the 
Queen  of  Sheba  f:aw  King  Solomon,  there  was  '  no  more 
'  spirit  in  her' — which  secrns  to  be  a  synonimous  expression. 

2  Travels  in  Arabia,  vol.  I.  n.  2  52. 

*  For  nnK,  raasc.  the  Keri  and  many  r>ISS.  read  nwx  fern, 
to  agree  with  ]^y,  v/hich  has  occasioned  a  suspicion  that  "'>ri 
or  some  such  word,  may  have  been  dropt  from  the  text  in 
transcribimj  ;  Le  Clerc  and  Bp.  Percy  make  no  scruple  to 
supply  this,  and  even  Junius -dnd  Ainsrjorih  suppose  it  to  be 
understood.  The  memo  prefix  leansalso  to  this  interpre- 
tation.    Dr.  ILydgson  reads ■  '  at  once  with  thine  eyes, 

'  at  once  with  the  chain  around  thy  neck*' 


(     276     ) 

atic  stj-le,  and  is  not  without  respectable  authow 
rities ' , 

Either  of  these  explanations  conveys  the  same  ] 
general  idea,  that  the  slightest  view  of  the  spouse 
was  extremely  captivating. — The  rest  of  the  ima- 
gery is  as  easy  and  natural  as  it  is  beautiful. 
The  comparison  of  her  conversation  to  milk  and 
honey  is  most  eminently    so.     *  Pleasant  words 

*  are    an   honey-comb,    sweet   to   the   soul,    and 

*  health  to  the  bones.* 

These  general  ideas  of  the  agreeableness  of  th6 
church  to  Christ,  both  in  her  looks  and  conver- 
sation, having  been  remarked  on  in  a  preceding 
section,  I  shall  only  add  here  the  interpretation 
of  the  Targum  on  the  last  verse  of  the  paragraph. 

*  When   the  priests  pray  in  the  holy  court,  their 

*  lips  drop  as  the  honey-comb  ?  and  so  does  thy 
'  tongue,  O   thou  modest  damsel,  when  thou  de- 

*  liverest  songs   and  hymns,  sweet  as   milk   and 

*  honey  :   and  the  smell  of  the  priests  garments  is 
^  as  the  smell  of  Lebanon^'* 


^   Parallel  passages  mierlit  be   quoted  from  many  eastern 
•poets.      The   Sou^  oi  Ibrahim  ^aya,  'One  dart  from  your 
<■  eyes  has  pierced  through  my  lieart,'    and  in  the  Songs   of 
Gitagovinda^    we    find     '  a     slave    acknowledging   himself 

♦  bourrht  by  a  single  glance  from  thine  eyes,  and  a  toss  of  thy 
'  disdainful   eye-brows.'     A<;iat.   Research,  vol.  III.  p.  400» 

'  Perfumed  garments  were  a   favourite  luxury  with  the 
anticnts.  Of  the  Messiah  it  is  said,  '  All  thy  garments  smelt 

*  of  myrrh,  aloes,  and  cassia.'  (See  Prelim.  Ess.  p.  83.) 
Nor  v,'ere  they  peculiar  to  the  Hebrews.  Homer  relates 
that  Calypso  gave  yiysses  '  $weet  smelling  garments.' 


(     277     ) 


Chap.  IV.   12—15. 

A  garden  locked  is  my  sister,  [my]  spouse; 

A  well  locked — a  fountain  sealed. 

Thy  shoots  are  a  paradise  ot  pomegranates, 

Together  with  the  precious  fruits  of  cypresses  and  nards. 

Spikenard  and  saflVon — calamus  and  cinnamon — 

With  all  the  trees  of  frankincense,  myrrh  and  aloes— 

With  all  the  principal  aromatics. 

A  fountain  of  gardens,  a  well  of  living  waters, 

And  streamis  from  Lebanon. 

The  comparison  now  drawn  has  delicate  and  stri- 
king beauties.  The  bride  is  here  compared  to  a 
royal  garden — an  orchard — a  paradise  ;  her  future 
progeny  to  a  plantation  of  pomegranates  ;  and  the 
various  excellencies  and  graces  of  herself  and 
them  to  the  most  precious  fruits,  and  the  most 
fragrant  aromaticks*  ;  all  reserved  for  the  sole  en-^ 
tertainment  of  her  beloved. 

Then  again  her  purity  is  compared  to  a  spring,  a 
fountain;  and  her  fidelity  to  the  spring  locked,  and 
the   fountain   sealed*.      The   latter   image   may 


^  In  this  verse  I  Jiave  been  compelled  by  the  poetic  form 
of  the  original  to  negleft  the  Masoretic  accents  ;  which  I 
suppofe  of  no  great  authority.  The  fruits  of  the  cypresses 
(or  hennas)  and  the  nards,  poetically  speaking,  are  their 
perfumes.  The  calamus  is  a  sweet  scented  cane,  Isa.  xliii. 
24.  Mr.  Swinburne,  in  his  Travels  through  Spain,  (Lett. 
XII.)  speaks  of'  the  air  all  around'  being  perfumed  with  the 
effluvia  of  the  '  aloes. '-^Most  commentators,  however,  re- 
fer this  to  the  wood  (Ugn  aloes  J  which  when  dried  is  very  fra- 
grant. Mr.  Harmer  understands  the  words  '  frankincense, 
*  myrrh,  and  aloes'  as  generic  terms,  including  various  spe- 
cies. In  the  second  (myrrh)  he  supposes  may  be  included 
a  variety  of  precious  <^fl//anij.     On  Sol.   Song.  p.  294,  Sec 

'  I  am  very  tender  of  altering  the  established  reading, 
pppecially  where  the  sense  does  not  require  it ;  but  in  the 


(     278     ) 

sound  strange  1»o  an  European  car  ;  but  ■where 
verdure,  vegetation,  even  life  itself  depends  on 
such  a  supply  of  water,  it  assumes  a  very  differ- 
ent value  ;  and  that  fountains,  as  well  as  gardens, 
are  locked  and  sealed  in  eastern  countries,  we 
knovr  on  the  authority  of  Char  din,  and  other 
travellers'. 

In  the  close  of  the  paragraph  this  image  is  re- 
peated and  enlarged.  She  is  '  a  fountain  of  gar- 
*■  dens,'  and  a  stream  of  '  living  waters^  ;'  not  only 


])resenl  instance  it  should  not  be  concealed,  that  more  than 
&ixly  MSS.  with  the  LXX.  Syriac,  Vulgate,  Arabic,  and 
Tip;m'ine  versions,  instead  oF  (^b:i)  a  we// (a  spring  built 
round,  -with  awheel  to  draw  the  water)  repeat  (p)  \!^arden 
'  locked;'  which  is  very  agreeable  to  the  style  of  Hebrew 
poetry,  and  is  preferred  by  Cast^:!,  Doderlein^  and  other 
critic^. 

^    ilanne>-'s  Observ.  vol.   I.  p.    113. 

"  Dr.  Percy  and  Mr.  Hanusr  contend  strongly  that 
these  expressions  are  a  testimony  of  the  bride's  virginity  on 
the  night  of  consummation,  which  was  required  by  the  law 
of  Moses  ;  and  I  admit  that  the  like  expressions  are  used 
by  eastern  writers  in  such  a  sense.  But  then  it  must  be  re- 
membered that,  in  an  unmarried  v.oman,  purity  and  vir- 
ginity are  precisely  the  same  idea.  That  this  kind  of  distant 
'imagery  is  common  in  the  East,  and  is  not  restri6led  as 
Mr.  Ha nner  would  have  it,  appears  from  the  following  pas- 
sages.— Veirouz,  a  vizier,  having  divorced  his  wife  upon 
si»spicLon  of  inhdelity,  her  brothers  apply  for  redress  in  the 
following  figurative  terms.  '  My  lord,  we  have  rented  to 
'  Feirouz  a  most  delightful /arrft^n,  a  torvc^tnaX  paradise  ;  he 

*  took  possession  of  it,  encompassed  with  high  walls,  and 
^ planted  w'llh  the  mo^t  beautiful  trees  that  bloomed  with_y?07y- 
'  ers  and  fruit :  he  has  broken  down  the  walU,  plucked  the 
'  tender ^oT^-'r^,  devoured  the  £iucHi  fruit,  and  would  now 
■■  restore  us  this  garden,  robbed  of  every  thing  that  contribu- 

*  ted  to  render  it  delicious  when  we  gave  him  admission  to 
'it.'  (Tvliscell.  of  Eastern  Learning,  vol.  I.  p.  12.) — Cahi- 
5;'ah,  n>othcr  of  th"  Khalif  Motaz,  complained  of  Saleh,  that" 


(     279     ) 

pure  and  pleasant  in  herself,  but  adapted  to  com- 
municate blessings  all  around  her  ;  and,  in  short, 
to  be  the  mother  of  a  numerous  and  happy  off- 
spring. That  this  is  the  clear  and  established 
meaning  of  these  metaphors  appears,  not  only 
from  the  use  of  parallel  expressions  in  the  eastern 
poets,  and  the  concurrent  testimony  of  the  Jews, 
but  especially  from  the  following  passage  in  th(^ 
same  inspired  writer. 


*  Drink  waters  out  of  thine  own  cistern  ; 

*  And  running  waters  out  of  thine  own  well. 
'Let  thy  fountains  be  dispersed  al;road ; 

'  And  rivers  of  waters  in  the  streets. 
'  Let  them  be  only  thine  own, 
'  And  not  a  stranger's  with  thee. 

*  Let  thy  fountain  be  blessed  ; 

'  And  rejoice  with  the  wife  of  thy  youths. 


timong  other  crimes  he  had  '  rent  her  veil.,'  which  I)'  Her- 
belot  explains  of  having  dishonoured  her.  (Bib.  Orient,  p. 
644.) — In  a  famous  Persian  roniance,  a  princess  assures 
her  husband  of  her  fidelity  in  his  absence  in  these  terms  : 
'  The  jewels  of  the  treasury  of  secrecy  are  still  the  same  as 
*■  they  Avere,  and  the  casket  is  sealed  with  the  same  seal.' 
(Bahur  Danush,  vol.  III.  65.) 

Now  the  two  last  instances,  relating  to  married  Avomen, 
cannot  be  confined  to  the  sense  which  Mr.  Harmer  and 
others  have  imposed  on  such  terms,  it  is  therefore  probable 
that  the  other  should  not  be  so  confined  ;  Solomon's  asser- 
tion therefore  that  the  garden  was  locked^  and  the  fountain 
sealed^  will  not  prove  that  the  marriage  was  yet  incomplete, 
as  the  hypothesis  of  Mr.  Harmer  requires.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  language  of  the  author  In  the  first  verse  of  chap. 
V.  appears  to  me  decissive,  that  the  marriage  had  been  con- 
summated. 

1  Prov.  v.  15 — 18.  That  is,  as  good  Bp.  Patrick  (\vho 
speaks  the  general  sense  of  the  comraoitators)   paraphru- 


(     280     ) 

The  fountain  of  gardens,  and  streams  Iroirt 
Lebanon,  are  taken  locally  by  an  old  writer', 
who  fixes  the  former  six  miles  from  Tripoli, 
and  the  latter  about  a  mile  to  the  south  of 
Tyre.  It  is  a  circumstance,  however,  of  little 
or  no  importance.  JostPHus  tells  us  that  So- 
lomon took  great  delight  in  his  gardens  and 
fountains  of  waters*,  which  indeed,  with  their 
perfumes,  are  the  grand  obje6\s  of  luxury  in 
eastern  countiies. 

There  can  be  no  difficulty  in  the  application 
of  these  images,  which  are  often  employed  by  the 
prophets,  particularly  Isaiah. 

They  consider  the  world,  filled  with  ignorance 
and  vice,    as   a   wilderness,    dry    and  barren,  or 


ses  the  text: — '  Marry  ;  and  in  a  wife  of  thine  own  enjoy 
<  the  pleasures  thou  desirest  ;  and  be  content  with   them 

*  alone  ;  innocent,  chaste    and  pure  pleasures  : — Of  ivhom 

*  thou  mayest  have  a  lawful  issue,    which  thou  needest  not 

*  be  ashaired   to  own  ;  but  openly  produce  and  send  them. 

*  abroad,  like  streams  from  a   spring,    to  serve  the  public 

*  good,'  Sec. 

So  among  the  modern  Jews,  the  bridegroom  offers  the 
the  following  petition  :  '  Suffer  not  a  stranger  to  enter  into 
'  the  sealed  fountain^  that  the  servant  of  our  loves  (/.  e.  the 
bride)  may  keep  the  seed  of  holiness  and  purity,  and  not 
'  be  barren.' — 'Selden's  Uxor  Hebraica,  lib.  iii.  chap.  2.— 
Addison's  present  State  of  the  Jews,  chap.  v. 

The  same  idea  of  chastity  is  certainly  intended  by  the 
'garden  locked,'  or  shut  up  ;  on  which  the  Targujm  thus 
comments  :  '  Thy  women,  which  are  married  to  modest 
'  men,  are  as  a  modest  damsel,  and  as  the  garden  of  Eden, 

*  into  which  no  man  hath  power  to   enter,  except  the  righ- 
'  teous,  whose  souls  are  by  angels  carried  into  it.' 

1   Adrichonius  Theatrum  terrx  San6lx,  quoted  in  Gill. 
*   yosephusy  Antiq.  lib.  viii.  chap.  7. 


(     281     ) 

bnly  producing  weeds,  and  thorns,   and  briars. 
But 

'  When  the  pool*  and  needy  seek  wot^r,  and  there  is  none^ 
'  And  their  tong-ue  faileth  for  thirst  ; 

*  I,  Jehovah,  will  hear  them. 

*  I,  tlie  God  of  Jacob,  will  not  forsake  them. 

*  I  will  open  rivers  in  hi-i^h  places, 

'  And  fountains  in  the  midst  of  the  valleys  ; 
'  I  will  make  the  wilderness  a  pool  of  water, 

*  And  the  dry  land  springs  of  water. 

*  I  will  plant  in  the  wilderness  the  cedar, 

'  The  shittah  tree,  and  the  myrtle,  and  the  olive  tree  ; 
'  I  will  set  in  the  desert  the  fir  tree, 
'  The  pine  and  the  box  tree  together^.' 

Such  is  the  power  of  divine  grace,  that  it  6an 
convert  weeds  and  brambles  into  trees  the  most 
choice  and  beautiful — can  make  the  desert  blos- 
som as  a  rose — -and  change  the  wilderness  into  an 
Eden — '  the  garden  of  the  Lord.' 

Comparing  the  prophet  with  King  Solortion, 
we  may  observe, 

1.  That  the  church  is  a  Garde?! — not  a  Field, 
or  a  Common  ;  she  may  sing  in  the  language  of 
her  favourite  poet, 

'  We  are  a  garden  wall'd  around, 
'  Chosen  and  made  peculiar  ground ; 
'  A  little  spot  inclos'd  by  grace 
*  Out  of  the  world's  wide  wiklerncss.' 

WATTS. 

2.  The  church  is  a  garden  planted  by  the  hand 
of  God,  and  watered  by  his  Holy  Spirit,  which  is 
frequently  compared  to  springs  and  living  streams 
of  water. 

*   Isa.  xli.  17 — 19. 

Nn 


(     282     ) 

*  Like  trees  of  myrrh  and  spice  we  stand, 

*  Planted  by  God  the  Father's  hand  ; 
'  And  all  the  springs  in  Sion  flou' 

'  To  make  the  young  plantation  grow. 

3.  The  garden  is  locked  ;  the  fountain  sealed  ; 
i.e.  it  is  secured  from  intrusion,  and  from  vio- 
lation. "  Holiness  unto  the  Lord,"  is  inscribed 
upon  the  gate,  and  these  are  the  mottos  of  the 
seal :  '  The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his.' 
And,  '  Let  every  one  that  nameth  the  name  of 
*  Christ  depart  from  iniquity'.' 

These  are  hints  only  dropped  for  the  enlarge- 
ment of  the  reader  at  his  leisure. 

Ch.  IV.  16.  Gh.  V.  1. 

Spouse.  Awake,   O  north  wind,  <  and  come,  O  south  !' 

Breathe  upon  my  garden  that  its  aromatics  may 

flow  out ! 
My  beloved  shall  come  into  his  garden, 
And  eat  his  precious  fruits. 
Bridegroom.  I  am  come  into   my  garden,  my  sister  [my] 
spouse, 
I  have  gathered  my  myrrh  with  my  aromatics ; 
I  have  eaten  my  honey  in  the  comb  ; 
I  have  drank  my  wine  with  my  milk. 
TotheCom-~>  Eat,   O  friends  1 
panions.    5  i^i'ink,  yea,  drink  abundantly,  O  beloved. 

In  the  first  of  these  verses  two  difficulties  oc- 
cur : — Who  is  the  speaker  ?  and  what  is  the  im- 
port of  his  invocation  ?  On  the  former  question 
we  can  derive  no  light  from  the  original,  and  the 
critics  and  commentators  are  much  divided.    Sup- 

1  2  Tim.  ii.  19. 


(     283     ) 

posing  the  Bridegroom  to  continue  speaking,  af- 
ter describing  the  bride  as  a  garden  of  aromatics, 
&c.  he  invokes  the  gale  to  breathe  on  this  garden, 
that  he  may  inhale  from  it  the  greater  fragrancy ; 
which  is  not  unnatural,  nor  improper.  But  con- 
ceiving, as  I  am  still  inclined  to  do,  the  Bride 
to  be  the  speaker,  it  forms  a  part  of  her  reply  : 
as  if  she  had  said  :  '  My  beloved  compares  ii.e  to 
'  a  garden,  to  a  paradise  ;  O  that  I  were  more 
'  fruitful  and  more  fragrant ;  that  I  might  enLer- 

•  tain  him  better  with  my  odours' ,  and  my  fruits!* 
This  I  conceive  to  be  more  natural,  just,  and 
beautiful. 

The  nature  of  the  invocation  has  been  also 
disputed,  though  I  think  with  less  reason.  If 
the  wind  must  be  invoked,  yet  why  invoke  it 
from  opposite  points,  which  certainly  could  not 
blow  at  the  same  time  ?  True  :  but  they  might 
blow  alternately ;  and  were  alternately  desirable 
and  necessary*.  "  The  office  of  the  north  wind, 
according  to  the   same  poet,  was  to  '  drive  away 

*  rain^  ;'  and,  consequently,  to  produce  that 
clear,  brilliant,  glowing  sky,  which  the  patriarch 


1  For  its  aromatics,  the  LXX.  Syriac  Arabic,  and  Cop^ 
tic  read  my;  and  one  of  Keniiicott's  (198)  MSS.  reads 
C3>)2y;i  without  a  pronoun.  On  the  other  hacd,  in  the 
jiext  line,  one  of  his  MSS.  (14-5)  reads  iny  garden,  and 
four  of  De  Rossi's  appear  to  have  read  so.  These  varia» 
tions  all  arose,  probabl)',  from  the  uncertainty  of  the  per- 
son speaking. 

2  If  it  v/ere  thought  necessary  to  obviate  the  supposed 
absurdity  of  calling  on  opposite  winds  to  biow,  it  would 
be  easily  dene  by  rendering  the  vau,  as  a  disjunctive  par- 
ticle, OR,  as  it  often  is  by  our  translators. 

3  Prov.  xxY.  23. 


(     284     ) 

Job  calls  golden,  and  Avhich  he  tells  lis  comes 
from  that  quarter'.  Pliny  says,  the  north  is 
the  most  healthful  wind  that  bloAvs*  ;  and  its  bra- 
cing, invigorating  effects  on  the  human  frame  are 
well  known  :  nor  is  it  less  important  to  vegeta- 
tion ;  shaking  the  plants  and  trees  from  their  very 
roots,  loosening  the  soil  around  them,  and  clos- 
ing up  their  pores  to  prevent  their  being  too  much 
weakened.  On  the  odicr  hand,  the  south  wind 
is,  in  its  turn,  no  less  desirable  and  necessary  ta 
open  their  pores  and  exhale  their  odours^. 

'  AAvake  thou  north  ;  ye  southern  breezes,  rise, 
*  With  silken  \vins>s  your  balmy  vapour  spread, 
'  And  opeti  ev'ry  aromatic  bloom.' 

MRS.   ROWE. 


^  Job  xxxvli.  21,  22.  ^   gee  Gill,  in  loc. 

3  Dr.  Gill  observes  that  the  verb  OniSM)  breathe,  seems 
to  be  only  in  constru6\ion  with  the  south  wind  :  and  I  da 
not  find  it  ever  applied  to  a  violent  or  tempestuous  wind. 
But  the  learned  editor  of  Calmet  will  not  admit  the  south 
wind  at  all  in  this  scene.  He  says,  '  in  Judea,  the  heat 
'  of  the  south  wind  would  have  suffocated  the  frai^rancy 
'  of  the  garden.'  In  answer  to  which  it  is  sufficient  to 
quote  an  eastern  poet  in  a  still  warmer  climate.  '  O  gale, 
'  scented  with  sandal,  who  breatliest  love  from  the  regions 
'f  of  the  south,  be  projiitious.'     Asiat.  Research,  vol.  III. 

The  geographical  situation  of  Judea  v/ill  farther  justify 
this  interpretation.  Lebanon  being  on  the  north  of  Judea, 
the  wind  from  that  quarter  Avould  naturally  bring  with  it 
'  the  odour  of  Lebanon.'  On  the  south  is  Arabia  Petrxa, 
and  still  farther  south  Arabia  I'elix.  Egypt  is  situated 
west  of  Arabia,  and  Persia  to  tlie  east.  An  old  historian 
quoted  by  Si}'  W.  Jones,  [Essay  rn  the  Poetry  of  the  East-, 
erns]  says,  '  The  air  of  Egypt  soinetimes  in  summer  is, 
'  like  any  sweet  perfume,  and  almost  suffocates  the  spirits, 
'  cAiscd  by  the  wind  that  brings  the  odours  of  U^e  Arabian 
'  spices.'     Now   as  these  odours   are   brought   to   Egypt,' 


(     285     ) 

Let  us  now  attend  to  the  import  of  the  figure. 
The  wind  is  in  scripture  an  established  emblem 
of  the  divine  Spirit !     *  The  wind  bloweth  where 

*  it  iisteth,  and  thou  hearest  the  sound  thereof, 
'  but  canst  not  tell   whence   it    cometh,   nor  whi- 

*  ther  it  goeth  :  so  is  every  one  that  is  born  of 
'  the  Spirit.'  The  different  uses  of  the  wind, 
may  be  compared  also  to  the  different  offices 
of  the  Spirit.  Is  the  north  wind  keen,  pfcne- 
tratiiig  and  powerful  ?  Such  are  the  operations 
of  the  Spirit  in  conversion.  Is  the  south  wind 
mild,  gentle,  sweet  ?  Such  are  the  influences 
of  the  same  Spirit  in  his  teaching  and  consola- 
tions. 

'  Awake,  O  heavenly  wind  1  and  come, 
'  Blow  on  this  garden  of  perfume  : 
'  Spirit  divine  !  descend,  and  breathe 
*  A  gracious  gale  on  plants  beneath.' 

WATTS. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  the  following 
verse  contains  the  royal  bridegroom's  answer, 
except  in  the  concluding  line,  which  is  evi- 
dently addressed  to  his  companions — the  chil- 
dren of  the  bride- chamber.  '  When  the  pro- 
*pitious    gales    (says    she)    have     prepared   my 

*  garden  for  his  reception,    then    let   my   beloved 

*  enter   and   enjoy  it.' — '  I   have  already  (replies 

*  the  beloved)  began  to  taste  that  happiness. 
'  I  am  now  enjoying,  in   thy  conversation,    what 


doubtless  by  the  east  wind,  so  they  would  be  carried  to  Ju- 
dea  by  the  south,  and  to  Persia  by  the  west  or  south-west  ; 
in  every  dire6lion,  more  or  less,  producing  that  excess  of 
} Vagrancy  that  at  times  over-powe-rs,  even  the  natives,  with 
ka  sweetness. 


(    286     ) 

'■  is  sweeter  to  me  than  the  most  fragrant  scents, 

*  the  sweetest  viands,  or  the  most  refreshing 
'■  liquors* .' 

The  Tar  GUM  on  this  passage   is,    'The   con- 
'■  grcgation  of  Israel   said,  let  God  my  beloved 

*  come    into   the    house    of  the  sanctuary,    and 

*  graciously  accept  the  offerings  of  his  people.' 
The  holy  blessed  God  said  unto  his  people, 
the  house     of    Israel ;    '  I    am     come   into   the 

*  house  of  my  sanctuary,  which  thou  hast  built 
'  for   me,   O  my  sister,  the  congregation  of  Is- 

*  rael,    who   art   like   a   modest  damsel :   I  have 

*  caused  my  Sbekinah  to  dwell  with  thee  ;  I  have 

*  received  thy  sweet  incense,  which  thou  hast 
'  made  on   my   account ;  I  have  sent  fire  from 

*  heaven,   and  it  hath   devoured  the  burnt  offer- 

*  ings,    and   the   holy   drink   offerings ;  the  liba- 

*  tion    of  the   red  and  white  wine   is   graciously 

*  received  by  me,  which  the  priests  pour  out 
'  upon  mine  altars.'  This  paraphrase,  as  it  re- 
spects the  Jews,  is  not  to  be  despised ;  but  that 
of  Bishop  Hall  is  more  suited  to  our  dispen- 
sation. '  O  my  sister,  my  spouse  !  I  have  re< 
^qelvcd   those   fruits  of  thine  obedience   which 

^  That  these  delicacies,  are  now,  as  well  as  formerly,  in 
ihe  highest  esteem  in  the  East,  may  be  seen  in  Mr.  Ilarmer 
on  ihio  Song,  p.  304.  It  may  be  worth  adding,  tliat  the 
disciples  of  our  Lord,  after  his  rcsurreclion,  presented  him 
with  a  piece  of  honeycomb,  from  wliich  he  ate,  no  doubt, 
the  honey,  Luke  xxiv.  42,  43.  So  I  apprehend  here,  to  eat 
the  honeycomb  with  honey,  is  properly  to  eat  the  honey  in 
or  from  the  comb.  Dr.  Tajlor,  however,  in  his  Concorr 
(lance,  renders  the  passage,  'I  have  eaten  my  pure  wood 
'  honey  with  my  palm,'  which  is  supported  by  good  authori- 
ties ;  and  the  editor  of  Calmet — '  I  eat  my  liquid  honey 
'with   my /;•?»  honey.'     Continuation,  part  II.  p.  95. 


(     287     ) 

*  thou  offerest  unto  me,    with  much  joy  and  plea- 

*  sure.  I  have  accepted  not  only  of  thy  good 
'  works,  but  thy  endeavours  and  purposes  of  holi- 

*  ness,  which  are  as  pleasant  to  me  as  the  honey 
'  and  the  honeycomb.' 

The  concluding  sentence,  we  have  said,  ap- 
pears to  be  addressed  by  the  bridegroom  to  his 
companions,  who  are  invited  to  rejoice  with  him, 
and  partake  the  marriage  feast :  and  is  not  this 
fulfilled  in  the  instance  of  our  great  Redeemer  ? 
Do  not  all  that  love  him  rejoice  with  him  in  the 
prosperity  of  his  church  ?  Yea,  is  there  not  joy 
even  among  the  angels  in  his  presence,  over  every 
sinner  that  repcnteth  i 

But  this  passage  evidently  refers  to  the  marri- 
age feast,  which  was  kept  open  during  all  the  fes- 
tival. To  this  we  have  repeatedly  adverted,  irnd 
shall  avoid  repetition.     But '  blessed  are  they  who 

*  are  called  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb  !' 
All  the  enjoyments  of  the  believer  here,  which  are 
*■  neither  few  nor  small,'  are  but  the  foretastes  of 
what  '  God  has  prepared'   in  a  future  state   '  for 

*  them  that  love  him.'  Here  we  may  drink  abun- 
dantly of  his  love  and  of  his  consolations,  without 
danger  of  satiety  or  excess'  :  there  we  shall  drink 
of  the  river  of  his  pleasures  for  evermore  ! 


1  The  original  [Ca^TiT  iir)U>]  has  been  rendered  by  Merce- 
rusy  '  Inebrjamini  amoribus  :'  by  Cocceius,  '  Inebriamini 
'  amoenitatibus  ;  and  by  Ainsworth  and  Gill,  '  Be  drunken 
< — be  inebriated,  Avith  loves.'  We  have  observed  in  the 
Preliminary  Essays,  (p.  95  &:  scq.)  that  this  kind  of  expres- 
sion is  very  common  among  the  religionists  of  the  east,  and 


(     288     ) 


SECTION  IX. 


Chap.  V.  Ver.  2—8. 

Spouse.   I  slept  ;  but  my  heart  waked  : 

The  voice  of  my  beloved,  [who  v/as]  knocking' 

'  Open  lo  me,  my  sister,  my  consort, 

'  My  dove    my  accomplislied  one  ; 

'  For  mv  head  is  filled  with  dev/, 

'  And  my  locks  with  the  drops  of  the  night. 

'  1  have  put  off  my  vest,  how  shall  I  put  it  on  ? 

♦  I  have  washed  my  feet,  how  shall  I  defile  them.  ?' 

My  beloved  put  forth  his  hand  by  the  opening  [of 
the  door,] 

And  my  bowels  were  moved  for  him. 

I  rase  to  open  to  my  beloved  ; 

But  my  hands  dropped  myrrh,  and  my  fingers  li- 
quid myrrh, 

Upon  the  handles  of  the  lock. 

I  open'd  to  my  beloved  : 

But  my  beloved  had  withdrawn — was  gone. 

My  soul  fainted  when  he  spake  i 

1  sougln  him,  but  could  not  find  him  ; 

I  called  him,  but  he  gave  me  no  answer. 

The  watchnaen  who  go  round  the  city  found  me  : 

They  smote  me — they  hint  me  : 

The  keepers  of  the  walls  plucked  my  veil  from  me- 

1  adjure  you,  O  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  if  ye  find 

my  beloved — 
What  should  you  tell  him  ? — That  I  am  sick  with 

love. 


to  the  instances  there  given,  I  would  now  add  the  following. 
'  They  who  walk  in  the  true  path,  are  drowned  in  the  sea 
of  mysterious  adoration  : — they  are  ine'iriated  with  the  me- 
'  lody  of  amorous  complaints, — Through  rememl)rance  of 
'  God  they  shun  all  mankind  :  they  are  so  enamoured  of  the 
'  cup-bearer  that  they  spill  the  wine  from  the  cup.'  Sir 
JV.  Jones's  Works,  vol.  III.  p.  372.  Quoted  from  the 
third  bogk  of  the  Buslan, 


{     289     ) 

We  have  already  considered  a  parallel  scene  iii 
Chapter  III.  as  visionary  ;  and  nothing  can  be 
more  clear  than  that  this  must  be  considered  in 
the  same  light.     Indeed,  the  expression,  '  I  slept, 

*  but  my  heart  waked,'  will  scarcely  admit  of  any 
other  interpretation  ;  but,  in  this  view  is  beauti- 
fully poetic.  The  heart  is  the  seat  of  the  imagi- 
nation, as  well  as  of  the  afte6lions  ;  and  this  same 
inspired  Poet  tells  us,  speaking  of  a  man  of  cares 
and    business,   '  his  heart   taketh  not  rest   in  the 

*  night:'  that  is,  his  anxiety  is  continued  in  his 
dreams,  for  '  a  dream,'  he  says,  '  cometh  through 

*  the  multitude  of  business" 

This  being  admitted  to  be  a  dream^  we  are  as 
before,  relieved  from  the  necessity  of  accounting 
for  every  circumstance  on  the  principle  of  proba- 
bility :  and  farther,  as  several  of  the  circumstan- 
ces here  are  repeated  from  the  former  scene,  I 
shall  excuse  myself  from  discussing  them,  and 
confine  my  remarks  to  those  particulars  in  which 
the  accounts  differ. 

1.  In  the  former  instance  she  sought  the  be- 
loved— in  this  he  seeks  her.  It  is  the  same  thing 
in  efFe^,  whether  the  Lord  by  a  secret  influence 
of  his  grace,  stir  up  our  minds  to  seek  him  ;  or 

Eccles.  ii.  23.  v.  iii.  A  Persian  soniiet  in  the  Dhan 
of  Jamy  presentti  us  with  almost  exa6\ly  the  same  ima^^e  as 
the  royal  poet  in  this  song. 

*  Last  night,  iny  eyes  being  closed  in  sleep,  but  my  good 

*  fortune  {^qucry^  genius]"  awake — 

*  The  whole  night,  the  live-long  night,  the  image  of  my 

*  beloved  was  the  companion  of  my  soul.'  Orient.  CoUodt. 
vol.  I.  p.  187. 

Go 


(     290     ) 

whether,  by  the  dispensations  of  his  providence, 
he  knocks  as  it  were,  at  the  door  of  our  aifeflions, 
'  No  man  cometh  unto  me,  except   the   Father 

*  who   hath    sent   me,    draw    him.' — '  Behold  I 

*  stand  at  the  door  and  knock  ;  if  any  man  open 
'  unto  me,  I  will  come  in  unto  him,  and  sup  \\ith 
'  him,  and  he  with  me.' 

2.  The  Beloved  pleads  with  her  for  admittance, 
while  she  resists  his  importunity.  Let  us  com- 
pare his  plea  and  her  excuses.  The  plea  introdu- 
ced, in  analogy  to  the  nature  of  the  poem,  is  that 
of  a  lover  exposed  to  the  dews  of  the  night';  and  to 
give  chie  weight  to  this  plea  Ave  ought  to  know, 
that  the  dews  in  the  east  are  very  copious,  and  the 
laws  of  hospitality  very  strict.  The  excuses  here 
made  imply  that  the  Beloved  had  a  right  to  admit- 
tance ;  and,  consequently,  that  the  marriage  was 
complete.  The  Jewish  custom,  as  above  re- 
marked'', satisfactorily  accounts  for  his  absence,- 
aad  the  scene  being  visionary,  sufficiently  covers 
all  improprieties.  In  the  application  of  this 
scene  it  must  be  considered  as  referring  to  a  state 
of  great  languor  and  supineness  in  the  church, 


^  Dr.  iZoc/^.s on  thinks  Anacrcon  borrowed  from  this  pas- 
sa;^e  his  famous  ode,  '  In  the  dead  of  the  night,'  Sec.  It 
iTiust  be  owned  that  there  are  some  striking  similarities, 
and  that  it  is  very  possible  a  Septuagint  version  might  have 
fallen  into  his  hands,  as  well  as  into  the  hands  of  Theocri- 
tus :  but  as  it  would  be  difficult  to  decide,  so  the  objecl 
v/ould  hardly  pay  the  investigation.  I  wish  no  writer-s 
more  modern  than  these  had  profaned  the  sacred  stories. 

*  Above,  p.  247. 


(     291     ) 

and  its  members :  but  what  can  be  the  meaning 
of  such  excuses  ?  They  are  ridiculous  in  the  ex- 
treme, and  intended  to  appear  such — like  the 
excuses  in  the  gospel.  For  there  is  no  doubt  but 
lamps  were  kept  burning  in  the  royal  harem  ;  and 
the  loose  garments  of  the  east  are  easily  put  on  : 
there  could  be  little  danger  of  defiling  the  feet  in 
treading  on  a  carpet — and  there  can  be  no  ques- 
tion of  the  floor  being  covered.  But  what  lesson 
can  these  circumstances  be  intended  to  inculcate  ? 
That  all  our  excuses  for  negligence  and  disobe- 
dience in  religion  are  unfounded  and  absurd  :  the 
pleas  of  sloth  and  folly,  which  increase  the  evils 
for  which  they  would  apologise.  I  could  go  one 
step  farther,  and  remark,  that  the  excuses  here 
offered  are  perfectly  of  an  antinomian  cast.  The 
church  is  willing  to  receive  her  Lord,  if  he  will 
force  his  entrance  ;  but  affe6ls  a  wonderful  deli- 
cacy to  excuse  herself  from  exertion — from  rising 
to  let  him  in. 

3.  When  she  is  at  length  overcome  by  his  in- 
treaties,  and  rises  to  admit  him,  alas  !  he  is  Avith- 
drawn — the  just  reward  of  her  indolence  and  ne- 
glect. And  thus  it  is,  a  state  of  supineness,  and 
want  of  circumspe6lion  in  the  church,  or  a  be- 
liever, provokes  the  Lord  to  withdraw  his  pre- 
sence,  that  we  may  '  eat  the  fruit  of  our  own 
*  doings.'  It  is  by  experience  that  we  learn  wis- 
dom, and  it  is  sometimes  necessary  that  this 
should  be  dearly  bought,  in  order  that  it  may  be 
rightly  prized.  The  condu6l  of  the  spouse  under 
this  disappointment  shews  that  IiQr  indifierence 


<     292     ) 

was  not  radical,  nor  habitual ;  but  the  effecl  of  a 
temporary  stupor,  induced  perhaps  by  indulgence. 
But  when  she  saw  his  hand,  and  that  he  could  not 
reach  the  lock  or  bolt  to  open  it,  her  heart  smote 
her — her  bowels  were  moved  within  her  on  his 
account',  and  she  rose  dire6lly  to  admit  him: 
but  alas  !  it  was  too  late — he  had  turned  awaj% 
aod  was  withdrawn. 

'  Still  at  the  door  my  injured  lord  attends. 

'  While  on  the'lock  his  bvisy  "fingers  move: 

'  Tovich'd  with  a  soft  remorse,  at  last  I  rise, 

'  Fly  to  the  door  ;  but  while  with  eap,-er  haste 

*  The  fastened  lock  I  search'd,  sweet  smelling;  myrrh 

'  From  every  bolt  its  precious  moisture  shed  ; 

'  The  rich  perfume  my  lover's  hands  had  left.' 

This  poetic  version  (which  is  Mrs.  Rowe's) 
supposes,  as  commentators  do  in  general,  that 
the  perfume  here  called  liquid  myrrh'^ ^  proceeded 


^  Instead  of  (vby^  for  him^  more  than  200  MSS.  and 
editions  read  only  "hV-  in  our  inargins  rendered  in  me  ; 
I  doubt  however  this  rendering  of  the  particle,  the  radical 
idea  of  which  is  above  or  upon  ;  and  as  the  verb  (ITorr)  is  ap- 
plied to  the  motion  of  the  sea,  I  am  inclined  to  think  the 
accurate  idea  is,  that  a  tumult  of  tenderness  and  compas- 
sion (.so  to  speak)  makes  the  bowels  roll  ovei-  and  over,  like 
the  waves,  within  us. 

There  is  another  doubt,  however,  as  to  the  meaning  of 
thi.s  verse  ;  instead  of  the  beloved's  putling  forth  his  hand 
%o  open  the  lock,  some  think  it  means,  he  ivithdreiu  his 
hand  from  it  to  go  away.  [So  the  LXX  txTtsalsiXs — ^770  (p) 
ryis  oirns  ;  and  Junius — Demiserat  manum  suam  a  foramine  :] 
and  this  was  certainly  a  sufficient  cause  for  alarm  :  but,  I 
confess  this  does  not  appear  to  me  so  natural. 

2  Liquid  ["i3ir  current,  passing]  myrrh.  Bochart  ex- 
plains this  of  the  myrrh  Avhich  of  itself  mept  or  flowed  from 
the  plant — which  Watts  elegantly  calls  '  myrrh  new  bleed- 
[  jng  from  tlie  tree  ;'  which  is   always   the  most  precious. 


(     293     ) 

from  the  moisture  of  his  hands,  wet  with  dew ; 

and  the  compliment  in  this  view  is  very  elegant 
and  beautiful,  implying  that  the  fragrancy  of  his 
body  perfumed  every  thing  which  came  in  contact 
with  it.  If  the  perfume,  however,  be  referred 
to  the  spouse,  I  think  it  will  imply,  that  she  had 
anointed  herself  with  such  luxuriancy,  that  her 
fingers  were  still  wet  with  myrrh  ;  and  this  would 
partly  account  for  her  relu£tancy  to  rise,  since  in- 
dulgence naturally  induces  sloth. 

The  application  is  not  difficult.  Ease  and  in- 
dulgcixe  produce  languor  and  negligence  in  the 
church,  as  well  as  in  individuals  ;  and  in  such 
circumstances  the  Lord  often  withdraws  his  pre- 
sence and  his  smiles.     '  He  is  a  God  that  hideth 

*  himself;'  and  both  the  church  and  her  particu- 
lar members  have  bewailed  his  absence,  as  we 
may  see  at  large  in  the  penitentiary  psalms,  and 
the  book  of  Lamentations.  '  O  Lord,  my  spirit 
*"  failcth :  hide  not  thy  face  from  me,  lest  I  be 

*  like  unto  them  that  go  down  unto  the  pit'.' 

'  My  soul  with  anguish  melled  when  he  spoke, 
'  And  now,  with  wild  distraSlion  sees  her  guilt  ; 
'  I  call'd  in  vain,  for  there  was  no  reply  ; 
'  In  vain  I  search'd,  for  he  was  now  withdrawn.' 

MRS.   ROWE. 

4.  She  seeks  him  without  success,  and  in 
great  distress  and  anxiety  of  mind.     It  is  a  very 


As  to  the  supposition  that  she  had  a  pot  of  myrrh  in  her 
hand,  which  in  her  hurry  she  overturned  and  spilt  on  the 
lock,  it  appears  to  me  puerile,  and  unnecessary. 

»  Ps.  cxliii.  7. 


(     294     ) 

awful  threatening  by  the  mouth  of  this  inspired 
writer  : 

'  Because  I  have  called,   and  ye  refused, 

'  I  have  stretched  out  my  hand,  and  no  man  regarded  : — 

*  I  •will  also  lauG^h  at  your  calamity  ; 

'  I  will  mock,  when  your  fear  comcth^.' 

And  though  this  threat,  in  its  full  terror,  ap- 
plies only  to  the  finally  impenitent ;  yet  is  it,  in 
a  certain  extent,  applicable  to  all  who  refuse  to 
listen  to  the  calls  of  God  in  his  word  and  provi- 
dence. Those  who  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  his  com- 
mands may  reasonably  expe6t  him  to  refuse  to 
listen  to  their  petitions.  If  we  trifle  with  his 
grace  he  will  withdraw  his  smiles — he  will  hide 
his  face  in  anger  till  he  humble  and  recover  us. 

Her  disappointnient  greatly  distresses  and  dis- 
tra6l9  her.  First,  her  soul  failed,  or  fainted  at 
his  w^ord^  ;  but  then  speedily  recovering,  she 
loosely  throws  her  veil  over  her  night  dress,  and 
runs  after  him,  like  one  distraSled  with  love,  into 
the  city.  This,  we  are  to  remember,  is  a  dream; 
but  there  is  a  harmony  in  its  circumstances,  and 
this  condu6l  sufficiently  accounts  for  her  treat- 
ment :   for 

4.  When  she  was  found  in  the  streets  the 
watchmen   very  properly  stopt    her,  drew  aside 


1  Prov.  i.  24,  26. 

2  i^.i-r:j  nxiJS  literally,  lier    soul  went   out  of   her  at  his 
-word — perhaps  some  cutting  parting  word.    So  Mrs.  Rovie  : 

'  Tir'd  with  my  cold  delay,  farevoelU  he  cries, 
'  Those  killing  words  my  fainting  soul  surprise. 

Or   tlie  e^q5rcssion   may  be  elliptical — '  Sho  fainted  [^at 
the  remembrance  of]  his 'word.'     So  GU^  and  others. 


(     295     ) 

her  veil,  and  insisted  on  knowing  who  she  was  ; 
but  they  went  farther,  and  meeting,  we  may  sup- 
pose, with  no  satisfa6tory  answer,  they  treated  her 
very  roughly  :  they  smote,  they  hurt  her.  In 
the  parallel  vision  we  have  considered  the 
watchmen  of  Jerusalem  as  the  ministers  of  the 
church,  and  we  have  no  reason  here  to  seek  ano- 
ther interpretation.  It  cannot  be  denied,  howe- 
ver, that  in  the  present  instance  they  are  repre- 
sented as  treating  the  fair  stranger  with  too  much 
roughness  and  severity ;  a  hint  that  may  not  be 
without  its  use,  if  duly  attended  to  by  those 
whom  it  concerns.  The  character  of  a  gospel  mi- 
nister requires  firmness  and  plain  dealing ;  but 
not  roughness,  rudeness,  or  unnecessary  seve- 
rity. 

Lastly,  she  charges  with  a  message  the  virgin 
daughters  of  Jerusalem,  if  they  should  meet  with 
her  beloved.  This  may  be  considered  as  a  kind 
of  chorus,  which,  while  it  makes  a  poetical  con- 
clusion to  the  vision,  leads  to  the  grand  objeiSt  of 
this  se£lion,  the  description  of  the  beloved  ;  and 
appeals  from  the  harshness  of  the  guard  to  the  ten- 
derness of  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem. 

*  But  you,  bright  maids  of  Salem,  I  adjure 
'By  your  own  chaste  affe6lions,  if  you  find 
<  My  lord,  with  all  your  tender  eloquence 
'  Relate  the  anguish  of  my  love-sick  heart.* 

MRS.   ROWE. 


(     296     ) 


Ver.  9—16. 

Virgins.  What  is  thy  belored  more  than  [another]  beloved  ? 
O  most  beaiuiful  of  women  1 

AVhat  13  thy  beloved  more  than  [another]  bekfvedj 
That  so  thou  dost  adjure  us  ? 

Spouse.    My  beloved  is  white  and  ruddy, 
The  chief  among  ten  tho\isa.nd. 
His  head  is  wrought  and  pvire  gold  : 
His  locks  are  bushy — black  as  a  raven. 
His  eyes  are  like  doves  by  canals  of  waters-— 
Washed  in  milk — sitting  by  the  full  [pool.] 
His  cheeks  are  as  beds  of  aromatics — 
[As]  towers  of  perfumes. 
His  lips  lilies  dropping  liquid  myrrh  : 
His  hands,  rings  of  gold  set  with  the  tarshish  : 
His  body,  bright  ivory  covered  Avith  sapphires  : 
His  legs,  pillars  of  marble  upon  pedestals  of  gold  : 
His  aspect,  like  Lcl^anon,  noble  as  the  cedars  : 
His  mouth  sweetness  itself;   yea,  he  is  altogether 

desirable  ! 
This  is  n-iy  beloved,  and  this  is  my  friend, 
O  ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem. 

As  the  first  verse  is  merely  introductory,  we 
shall  immediately  consider  the  outlines  of  the  de- 
scription, which  contains  the  following  particulars: 

First,  his  countenance^  alluding  perhaps  to 
that  of  David  when  a  youth,  is  said  to  be  white 
and  ruddy '  — beautiful  and  healthful ;    elevated, 


*  Sadi.,  the  Persian  poet,  describing  a  celestial  appearance, 
says,  it  was  a  '  youth  whose  colour  rcstmbled  roses  sprink- 
»  led  over  pure  snow  by  the  playful  virgins  of  Circassia.— 
'  His  locks  were  black  as  ebony.'  iHeran's  Letters  on  Liter- 
ature, p.  436.]  Again  the  same  writer,  describing  a  young 
jnan,  says — He  had  just  arrived  at  the  opening  blossom  of 
youth,  and  the  down  had  but  newly  spread  itself  over  the 
flower  of  his  cheek.     iSulivan's  Fables  from  Gulistan,  p.  3.] 


(     297     ) 

brilliant,  splendid : — like  the  standard  of  an 
army  : — or  to  drop  the  figure,  he  is  the  chief — '■ 
the  choicest— aniOQg  ten  thousand'  ;— His  bead^ 
with  the  royal  crown,  is  compared  to  a  jewel 
of  gold  of  immense  value* — His  locks  are  repre- 


1  '  The  chief  amons^  ten  thousand  !'  I  have  presevved 
this  renderins^,  as  it  is  universally  allowed  to  preserve  the 
writer's  general  idea.  The  oris^inal  term  bian  is  by  most 
of  the  translators  and  critics  r^ndcvitd  vjxillatusy  a  standard- 
bearer,  or  rather  one  distinguished  by  a  standard — ■'.  e.  he 
is  distin'^uished  from  others  by  his  charms,  as  much  as  a 
commander  in  chief  is  distinguished  by  his  standard  and 
attendants. 

'Under  his  standard  mafshall'd  are 

*  Ten  thousand  youths,  but  none  so  fair.* 

I  know  that  Mr.  Harmcr  has  suggested  a  different  inter- 
pretation, namely,  that  of'  shone  upon  by  10,000  lamps  ;' 
but  I  consider  it  as  unsupported,  and  far  less  elegant  than 
the  above.  I  have  no  objeclion,  however,  to  adopt  the 
suggestion  of  the  ingenious  e^//for  of  Calmet,  [Continua- 
tion, p.  1 14.]  who  considers  the  prince  as  himself  che  stand- 
ard, observing  that  standards  were,  in  the  East,  a  kind  of 
fiery  beacon,  and  quotes  Shakespeare's  character  of  Hot- 
spur to  illustrate  his  idea. 

'  His  honour  stuck  upon  him,  as  the  sun 
'  In  the  grey  vault  of  heaven  ;   and  by  his  light 
'  Did  all  the  chivalry  of  England  move 
'  To  do  brave  ads. O  wondrous  him  !' 

2  There  Ure  two  words  for  gold  here  used — one  [CaDi] 
supposed  to  mean  stamped,  or  standard,  and  the  other  [is] 
pure,  solid  gold.  But  the  former  word  appears  to  me  to 
signify  gold  wrought  by  the  hand  of  the  jeweller,  (see  Prov. 
XXV.  12.)  and  particularly  in  the  form  of  a  coronet  or 
ancient  crown:  thus  Psalm  xlv.  9.  '  Upon  thy  right  hand 
'  did  stand  the  queen  in  [Cddd]  gold  of  Ophir,'  /.  e.  in  a 
crown  of  that  gold  ;  so  in  this  place  1  suppose  the  crown, 
mentioned  in  chap.  iii.  ii.  particularly  alluded  to  ;  and 
that  the  expression,  stripp^-d  of  its  poetic  dress,  means 
simply,  that  he  wore  a  royal  crown,  which  we  know  was 
of  pure  gold,  Ps.    xxi.  3. 


Pp 


(     298     ) 

sented  bushy  and  wavy  as  the  palm  tree'  ;  black 
and  shining  as  the  rtiven  : — His  eyes  arc  compared 
to  doves  by  channels  of  waters — to  doves  washed 
with  milk — (or  milk-white  doves)  sitting  by  the 
full  pool,  or  pools-  : — His  checks^  covered  with 
their  manly  down,  to  a  bed,  or  rather  beds,  of 
aromatics ;  and  to  towers  or  vases  of  smoking 
perfumes^  : — His  lips  are  compared  to    the  su- 


1  So  the  original  word  (Q^bnbn)  evidently  means,  and 
is  thus  explained  by  Michatlis.  Bp.  Percy  adds,  on  the 
authority  of  a  traveller,  that,  '  the  hair  may  be  very  aptly 
'  compared  to  the  fine  wavy  young  leaves  of  the  palm,  on 
'  their  first  bursting  forth  from  the  spatha  or  sheaths  in 
*  which  they  are  contained.'  (New  Tr.  p.  97.)  The  jetti- 
ress  of  the  hair  sufliciently  proves  that  the  former  expres- 
sion of  a  golden  head  could  not  refer  to  the  use  of  gold 
dust  for  powder,  which  indeed  cannot  be  proved  of  so 
high  antiquity.  Neither  could  it  apply  to  tinging  the  com- 
plexion with  henna,  because  he  is  described  '  as  white  and 
'  ruddy.' 

2  On  examining  the  original  word  (''p''*;f<}  translated  va- 
riously rivers,  torrents,  waterfalls,  &c.  I  am  convinced  it 
means  rather  canals,  artificial  streams  ;  in  order  to  cor- 
respond with  which,  I  supply  pool,  or  pools,  as  several 
of  Kennicott's  MSS.  I  see  read,  or  have  read,  the  adjec- 
tive (nixbn)  in  the  plural.  In  referring  this  term  not  to 
the  eyes  of  the  beloved,  but  to  the  doves,  I  follow  respect- 
able authorities,  as  Bps.  Patrick  and  Percy,  and  Mr.  Har- 
mer  ;  and  adhere  to  the  oriental  style,  in  a  passage  already 
cited  {p.  108.)  from  the  Gitcgovinda,  where  the  poet  com- 
pares the  eyes  of  his  mistress  to  a/>«/r  of  water-Zi/rc/j  of  azure 
plumage,  that  sport  near  a  full-blown  lotos  on  a  pooL  in 
the  season  of  dew  I  The  phrase  washed  in  milk  however, 
I  consider  as  describing  the  doves  as  milk-white,  which, 
though  not  so  common  as  the  grey  pigeon  in  the  east,  were 
not  the  less  valuable  or  esteemed. 

2  The  word  beds  is  plural  in  several  MSS.  the  LXX. 
Aquila,  and  Vulgate  ;   and  the  word  '  checks'  being  plural 


(     299     ) 

pcrb  (red)  Syrian  lilies,  and  his  conversation  to 
the  purest  liquid  stable,  or  myrrh,  referring  per- 
haps to  the  luscious  drops  distilled  from  those 
flowers' — His  hands  and  wrists  are  richly  orna- 
mented with  rings  of  gokP. — And  his  ivory  skin 
covered    with   a   splendid   sapphire  robe\ — His 


seems  to^  require  it.  There  is  no  doubt  but  the  beard  is 
here  alluded  to,  and  compared  to  a  young  nursery  of  aro- 
tnatics  ;  but  the  word  rendered  '  towers'  is  of  doubtful  in- 
terpretation. Mr.  //a?-?n6-?-  (Sol.  Song,  p.  165)  thinks  thr^y 
were  vases  in  such  a  shape,  containing  sweet-waters  ;  but 
as  the  word  perfumes  seems  to  refer,  in  its  use,  more  par- 
ticularly to  powders,  I  rather  conceive  they  were  a  kind  of 
silver  pyramids  to  burn  different  kind  of  odours,  and  which 
were  certainly  the  most  powerful  in  their  fragrancy.  It 
maybe  added,  in  illustration  of  the  former  member  of  this 

verse,  that  Hafiz,  speaking  of  his  cup-bearer,  describes  his 
*  cheeks'  empurpled  garden.' — (Nott.  p.  35)  an  image  very 
similar  to  Solomon's. 

'  '  His  lips  like  lilies  :"  the  expression  intimates  the 
sweetness  of  his  conversation,  and  alludes,  according  to 
Sir  Tho.  Brown,  to  the  sweet  dew-drops  observable  in  the 
cups  of  the  red  lilies,  mentioned  by  Pliny,  as  so  much  ad- 
mired in  Syria.  That  the  colour,  as  well  as  sweetness  of 
these,  is  referred  to,  appears  probable  from  the  following 
allusions  in  oriental  writers  : — '  Him  whose  lips  are  like  a 
'  red  lo.tos  in  full  bloom.'  (Asiatic  Researches,  vol.  iii.  p. 
392) — *■  How  can  tulip-coloured    wine  be  compared  to  the 

rubies  of  thy  lips  ?'  (Oriental  Col.  vol.  H.  p.  266.) 

2  '  His  hands  rings:  i.  e.  in  the  bold  eastern  style,  co- 
vered with  rings,  and  the  Avrists  with  bracelets.  So  Mar- 
tial calls  a  hand  ornamented  with  rings,  set  with  the  sar- 
donyx, '  sardonychata  manus.  (Ep.  xxv.  lib.  2.)  And  an 
Indian  poet  sings,  'O  my  shepherd!  thou  art  my  life: 
*  each  finger  has  a  ring  on  every  joint,  and  thy  arms  have 
'bracelets.'  Orient.  Col.  vol.  II.  p.  399.  The  antiquity 
of  these  ornaments  maybe  seen  in  2  Sam.  i.  10.  Sec.  The 
Jews  say  the  tarshish  was  a  sea-green  :  others,  thai  it  meant 
the  chrysolite,  /.  e.  gold  coloured.  The  former  seems 
most  probable  in  this  place. 

3  '  His  body  bright  ivory  covered,'   Sec.     That  the  6pouse 
could  not  intend  to  describe  her  beloved  naked,  is  to  be  in- 


(     300     ) 

legs^  marbled  Avith  health,  (perhaps  laced  v/itli 
azure  ribbons,)  and  his  feet  in  golcen  sandals, 
are  compared  to  marble  pillars  upon  pedestals  of 
gold'. — His  aspect  is  resembled  to  Lebanon,  and 
his  stature  to  the  cedars". — His  mouthy  that  is, 
his  breath,  is  said  to  be  sweetness  itself  ^  ;  and  to 
sum  up  all,  his  whole  person  is  every  way  admi- 

ferrecl,  not  only  from  the  laws  of"  decency,  but  from  this 
circumstance,  she  describes  him  that  they  might  know 
him  ;  besides  it  is  not  usu.il  to  have  the  body  naked,  when 
the  extremities  are  so  richly  dressed  and  ornamented. 
Nor  will  the  original  [nsbl'73j  bear  to  be  rendered  /Hlaid  being; 
uniformly  applied  according  to  its  radical  idea  to  covering- 
over.  (Texil.  obtexit,  Leigh's  Crit.  Sac.)  A  sapphire  robe 
over  an  ivory  skin,  then,  I  suppose  to  be  the  obje6l  of  de- 
scription ;  and  if  it  be  true,  as  some  pretend,  that  the  an- 
tient  sapphires  were  spotted  with  gold,  like  the  starry  hea- 
vens, no  dress  can  be  well  conceived  more  elegant  and 
superb.  As  to  the  word  ["•J^n]  here  rendered  hody^  and  in 
the  preceding  chapter  dotveis,  Mr.  Pariihurst  derives  it 
from  .rrj/'D  Nagnah^  in  the  sense  o^  lax  loose,  which  is  al- 
so tlie  sense  of  the  kindred  verb  in  Arabic.  It  generally 
refers  to  the  internal  parts,  the  bowels-  Sec.  (See  Gen.  xv. 
4. XXV.  23.  2  Chron.  xxi  15.  Sec.)  but  in  Dan.  ii.  32.  speak- 
ing of  Daniel's  image,  plainly  refers  to  the  external  form, 
and  is  used,  as  we  oiten  use  the  word  body.,  for  the  human 
trunk,  exclusive  of  the  extremities. 

1  His  legs,  pillars  of  marble  :'  So  O-y/c?  speaks  of  marble 
feet  (marmoreis  pedibus,  Amor.  1.  2.  c.  11).  But  as  the 
same  word  in  the  original  signifies  fine  linen,  I  am  by  no 
means  sure  that  this  does  not  also  refer  to  drawers  of  fnie 
linen,  sych  as  the  priests  wore. 

'  Bp.  Lowth  observes  tlie  elegance  and  propriety  with 
which  the  author  compares  the  king  to  Lebanon  for  dignity 
and  grandeur,  and  aitervvards  the  queen  to  Catrmel  for  grace 
and  beauty. 

3  His  mouth,  literally  his  palate,  is  here  evidently  put  for 
his  breath,  which  is  said  to  be  '  sweetness  itself,'  or  in  the 
Heb.  idiom  '  sweetnesses.'  It  may  be  worthy  of  remai  k,  for 
the   sake  of  the  allegorical  application,  that  '  It  is  x\o\  un- 


(     501     ) 

rable  and  desirable.  Such  I  consider  as  the  out- 
line of  the  description,  literally  viewed  ;  the  in- 
quisitive reader  will  refer  to  the  notes  for  my  au- 
thorities, and  others  will  pass  on  to  the  allegorical 
application,  which  will  be  confined  to  a  few  hints, 
selected  M^ith  great  attention,  and  offered  with 
much  diffidence. 

The  first  part  of  the  description  naturally  re- 
minds us  of  him  who  was  '  fairer  than  the  children 

*  of  men,'  and  higher  than  the  angels; -who  was 

*  lifted  up'  on  the  cross  for  an   '  ensign'  to  '  the 

*  Gentiles,'  and  who  is  the  captain  of  our  salva- 
tion— the  ele6\  of  God,  and  the  head  jof  men  and 
angels. 

As  the  golden  head  of  Nebuchadnezzar  was 
designed  to  represent  the  glory  of  his  kingdom, 
so  may  this  part  of  our  description  represent 
the  excellency  of  his  government,  who  is  King 
of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords  :  whose  kingdom  '\% 
everlasting,  and  of  whose  dominion  there  shall  be 
no  end.  The  eyes  are  the  index  of  the  heart ; 
and,  in  this  description,  plainly  indicate  wisdom, 
purity,  gentleness,  and  love  :  his  lips  drop  words 
of  love  and  kindness,  and  his  breath  (or  spirit) 
communicates  life  and  healing.     The  other  parts 

*  usual  [amorif^  the  poets  of  Persia  and  Turkey]  to  allude 
<  to  the  miraculous  power  of  Isa's  [Jesus's]  breath,  which 
could  give  healch  to  the  infirm,  and  restore  the  deceased  to 
life.  '  These  (allusions)  are  by  no  means  ironically  or  irre- 
'  verently  intended.'  [Or  Col.  vol.  I.  p.  42]  Hafiz,  for  in- 
stance, in  one  of  his  odes,  refers  to  the  breath  of  the  Mes- 
siah ('  Messix  halitum  habens)  which  was  able  to  recal  the 
dead  to  life.     NotVs  Odes  of  Hafiz.  p,  63.  note 


(     302     ) 

of  the  description  must  not  be  too  minutely  alle- 
gorized, as  only  generally  indicating  the  perfec- 
tion and  elegance  of  the  august  person  described, 
whose    rank  is   marked   in  the  splendour  of  his 
<Iress,  and  the  costliness  of  his  ornaments. 

The  concluding  sentence,  however,  which 
sums  up  the  whole,  merits  our  more  particular  at- 
tention,— '  He  is  altogether  desirable.'  This 
may  be  considered  as  a  summary  of  the  above  de- 
scription. First,  he  is  desirable  for  the  dignity 
of  his  person,  and  the  glory  of  his  kingdom,  but 
faintly  represented  by  the  most  precious  gold — 
pure,  permanent,  and  glorious.  Speak  we  of  his 
array  ?  the  sapphire  sky  is  but  his  robe,  and  the 
stars  are  his  gems  of  royalty.  If  we  review  the 
softer  graces  of  his  character, 

.<  His  eyes  are  glory  mix'd  with  grace, 
'  In  his  delightful,  awful  face, 
'  Sit  majesty  and  gentleness.' 

V/'ATTS. 

Whenever  he  speaks,  cither  pleading  as  our 
advocate  with  the  Father — or  teaching  us  by  the 
medium  of  his  word, 

'  Persuasion  dwells  upon  his  charming  tongue 
'  And  elocjuence  divine.' 

The  Spirit  he  breathes  on  his  ele6l  conveys 
spiritual  and  eternal  life,  with  all  the  blessings 
that  accompany  it. — In  short,  his  person  and  cha- 
r»61:er  comprize  every  thing  amiable  or  desirable 
■■ — whence  he  is  called  '  the  desire  of  all  nations',' 

1  Hag.  ii.  7. 


(     503     ) 

He  was  the  desire  of  the  antlent  patriarchs; 
To  Adam  he  was  revealed  '  as  the  seed  of  the  wo- 
man,' who  was  to  break  the  serpent's  head.  Enoch 
prophesied  of  his  coming  in  all  his  glory.  Abra- 
ham desired  to  see  his  day  ;  he  saw  it  and  was 
glad.     David    rejoiced   in    spirit    when   he  said, 

*  The  Lord    said  unto  my  Lord,    sit  thou  at  my 
*■  right  hand,    until  I   make   thine    enemies    thy 

*  footstool.' 

Isaiah  'saw  his  glory  and  spake'  very  fre- 
quently '  of  him.'  Malachi  closed  the  canon 
of  the  Old  Testament  with  the  promise  of  his 
speedy  coming  ;  yea,  '  to  him  give  all  the  pro- 
*'phets  witness:'  and  when  he  came,  good  old 
Simeon  was  foremost  among  those  who  waited 
for  his  salvation,   and  embraced  him  with  rapture. 

He  was  the  desire  of  all  nations — not  of  the 
Jews  only,  but  of  the  Gentiles  also,  and  that  in 
two  respects ;  for  they  had  a  general  expecta- 
tion of  some  great  deliverer,  and  (though  they 
knev/  it  not)  he  was  the  very  Saviour  that  they 
wanted.  Even  Socrates  was  all  anxiety,  on 
the  grand  point  of  acceptance  with  God,  and  ad- 
vised his  pupils  to  wait  for  a  great  unknovvii  teach- 
er then  to  come ' . 

This  subje6l  must  not  close  with  the  cool  lan- 
guage of  enquiry  and  observation.  The  spouse 
concludes  with  rapture — '  This   is  my  beloved, 

*  and  this  is  my  consort,   my  spouse^,    my  Lord.' 

*  See  Ilis'oiic  Defence  of  Experimental  Religion,  vol.  I. 
p.  154,  &c. 

*  The  word  here  used  is  the  masculine  of  that  above  ren- 
dered consort. 


(     304     ) 

Reader,  let  us  pause  a  moment  and  say,  Is  this 
all-desirable  Jesus  our  beloved,  and  our  friend  ? 
If  so,  we  may  sing  with  the  sweet  evangelical  po- 
et, I  have  so  often  cited  : 

'  All  over  glorious  is  my  lord  ; 

♦  Must  be  beloved,  and  yet  ador'd  : 

'  F.is  worth,   it  all  the  nations  knew, 

'  Sure  the  whole  earth  would  love  him  too.' 


Chap.  VI.  Ver.  1—5. 

Virgins.  Whither  is  thy  beloved  gone, 
•    O  most  beautiful  of  women  ? 
Whither  is  thy  beloved  turned  aside  ? 
And  we  will  seek  him  with  thee. 
/ 

Spouse.  My  beloved  is  g-one  down  into  his  garden, 
Unto  the  beds  of  aromatics  ; 
To  feed  in  his  garden,  and  to  gather  lilies. 
I  am  my  beloved's,  and  my  beloved  is  mine  ; 
lie  feedeth  amonu;  the  lilies. 


This  short  passage  is  encumbered  with  no  dif- 
ficulties in  its  literal  sense,  and  may  be  dismiss- 
ed with  a  very  brief  remark  or  two. — 1.  The 
commendations  given  to  Christ  by  his  church 
have  a  tendency  to  excite  the  enquiries  and  affec- 
tions of  others. — 2.  The  spouse  concludes  her  be- 
loved was  gone  down  into  his  garden,  because 
there  she  knev/  was  his  delight ;  for  the  Lord  de- 
lights in  the  plantations  of  his  grace.  But  nei- 
ther of  these  ideas  can  be  better  expressed  than 
in  the  lines  of  our  favourite  paraphrast : 

'  When  stran,gers  stand,  and  hear  me  tell 
'  What  beauties  in  my  Saviour  dwell, 
'  Where  he  is  gone  they  fain  would  know, 
'  That  they  may  seek  and  love  him  too. 


(     305     ) 


^  My  best  beloved  keeps  his  throne 

*  On  hills  of  light,  in  -worlds  unknown  : 

♦  Bvithe  descends,  and  shews  his  face 
<  In  the  young-  gardens  of  his  grace. 

W  A 1 1 S  5 


SECTION  X. 

Chap^  VI.  Ver.  4—9. 

xridtgroom,  .  ' 

Beautiful  art  thou,  my  consort,  as  Tirzah, 
Comely    as    Jerusalem,    formidable    as    banhefp<l 

[towersi] 
Turn  away  thine  eyes  from  me, 
For  they  have  overcome  me." 

Thy  hair  is  like  a  flock  of  goats 
Which  [come  up]  sleek  fromGilead  ; 
Thy  teeth  are  like  a  flock  of  sheep 
Which  ascend  from  the  washing  ; 
All  of  them  bearing  twins, 
And  none  of  them  miscarrying. 
L-ike  the  flower  of  the  pomegranate,' 
Are  thy  cheeks  behind  tliy  veil. 

Threescore  queens    are   they,   and   fourscore  con- 
cubines,' 
And  virgins  -without  number. 
An  only  one  is  my  dove,  my  accomplished  one  ; 
The  only  one  of  her  mother. 
The  darling  of  her  that  bare  her. 

The  daughters  saw  her,  and  they  blessed  her  ; 
The  queens  and  concul)ines,  and  they  praised  her  : 
'  Who  is  this  that  looketh  forth  as  the  dawn, 

*  Beautiful  as  the  moon,  splendid  as  the  sun, 

*  And  awful  as  the  streamers  ? ' 

THIS   passage  opens   a   new   scene,    and   the 
time    is    probably     the     evening.     The    spouse 


Qq 


(     30G     ) 

seeking  her  beloved  finds  him  in  the,  gardens, 
or  pleasure  grounds,  belonging  to  the  palace, 
and  there  again  receives  his  commendations. 

Tirzah  Avas  a  royal  city,  the  residence  of 
one  of  the  antient  princes  of  Canaan',  and  af- 
terwards of  Jeroboam  and  his  successors.  From 
its  name,  which  signifies  ivell-pleasing^  it  ap- 
pears to  have  been  famous  for  the  beauty  of  its 
situation,  or  its  buildings,  and  perhaps  for  both. 
'Jerusalem^  if  not  more  beautiful,  was  certainly, 
as  the  capital  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  joy  of  the 
whole  earth,  more  noble,  august,  and  grand. 
From  the  laws  of  climax  we  should  expe6l  the 
third  image  to  rise  proportionably  upon  the 
two  former  ;  but  its  exact  import  is  not  easily 
ascertained.  The  original  term^  seems  appli- 
cable to  any  object  bannered  \  and  the  antient 
eastern  banners,  I  suppose,  were  streamers 
with  pots  of  fire,  in  the  nature  of  beacons,  on 
their  tops.  In  the  present  instance  analogy 
leads  us  to  apply  this  image   to   those  lofty  towers 


1  Josh.  xil.  24.      I  Kings  xiv.  17.  xv. 

*  nibi")3,  both  here  and  in  ver.  1 0.  some  MSS.  read  nibT53  ; 
but  as  I  conceive'the  two  roots  ^>1  and  bli  to  be  very  near 
of  kin,  I  suppose  the  difTerence  uniniportant.  The  radi- 
cal idea  of  ^13  I  suppose  to  be  borrowed  from  the  solar 
flame,  with  a  particular  reference  to  its  conic  form,  whence 
a  cluster,  a  tower,  Sec.  bi"7  (with  the  transposition  of  one 
letter)  means  a  standard  or  streamer  ;  either  from  its  re- 
seir)blance.,to  a  flame,  or  from  a  fire  kept  burning  in  an 
iron  pot  upon  its  lop,  especially  in  the  night.  [See  Ilarmer's 
Observations,  vol.  I.  p.  225,  8cc.]  This  root  has  occurred 
before.     See  note  (I)  page  297. 


(     307     ) 

and  splendid  domes*  in  the  East,  which  were 
richly  gilt  and  decorated  with  streamers,  and  in 
some  parts  contained  perpetual  beacons  on  their 
summits.  This  will  preserve  the  climax,  and  the 
harmony  of  the  images,  ^^hile  it  presents  an  ob- 
je6l,  I  presume,  not  unworthy  of  the  sacred  poet. 
The  spouse  is  represented  fair  and  beautiful  as 
Tirzah — comely,  handsome,  noble  as  Jerusalem 
— brilliant,  dazzling,  terrible,  as  the  most  formi- 
dable towers,  with  flaming  spires  and  streaming 
banners.  And  this  leads  to  the  true  meaning  of 
the  next  sentence,  '  Turn  away  thine  eyes,  for 
*  they  have  overcome  me' ;'  that  is,  I  am  surpri- 
sed charmed,  and  conquered  by  the  beauty  of 
thy  person,  the  elegance  of  thy  dress,  and  splen- 
dour of  thine  ornaments  :  just  as  a  stranger  might 
be  overcome  with  astonishment,  on  beholding  the 
beauty  and  splendour  of  these  cities,  and  their 
ornaments.  The  same  idea  occurs,  though  dif- 
ferently expressed,  in  chap.  iv.    9.   '  Thou  hast 


^  A  fair  paraplirast  gives,  I  observe,  an  interpretation 
somewhat  similar  : 

'  Should  Tirza  with  its  lofty  turrets  rise, 

*  Or  Salem's  golden  spires  the  landscape. paint, 

'  A  finer  prospeft  in  her  face  I  view.' 

MRS.  HOWJC. 

'  Few  passages  have  been  renderd  more  variously  than 
this.  The  sense  I  have  chosen  appears  to  mo  most  agree- 
able to  the  context,  sufficiently  Ktcial,  and,  beside  coinci- 
ding with  the  common  translation,  has  good  authorities. 
LXX.  aTToa-r^e-^oy  o^^aXfjiii:  (Tov  ocTTcvavitoy  fAiv.  Mont  anus  :  Averte 
oculos  tuos  e  regione  mca :  '  Withdraw  thine  eyes  from 
ptiy  station.'   /.  e,  from  looking  steadfastly  on  me. 


(     308     ) 

'  ravished   my  heart  my  sister,  my  spouse,  thou 
^  hast  ravished  mv  heart.' 

The  following  lines  (verses  6  and  7),  are,  with 
the  difference  of  one  word,  the  same  as  occur  in 
the  4th  chapter  (ver.  1 — 3),  which  has  induced 
some  critics  rashly  to  pronounce  them  an  inter- 
polation'. The  ancients,  however,  and  even  the 
modern  poets  of  the  East,  are  not  so  scrupulous 
of  repetition ;  and  the  same  rule  of  criticism 
^\  ouid  rob  us  of  many  other  passages  in  this  song 
— in  the  Proverbs — and  in  the  Psalms.  It  is 
surely  not  unnatural  for  a  lover  to  dwell  upon 
the  praises  of  his  beloved,  or  to  repeat  his  com- 
mendations. 

In  the  next  paragraph,  the  only  question  is. 
What  queen  and  concubines  are  here  referred  to  ? 
I  confess  I  am  unwilling  to  believe  that  Solomon 
had,  at  this  period  of  his  life,  formed  a  numerous 
&eragHo,  though  afterwards  we  know  it  was  his 
sin  and  folly  so  to  do  ;  on  the  contrary  it  seems 
^ntimated  that  at  this  time  she  was  his  only  one  : 
nor  do  I  tliink  his  queens  and  concubines  would 
have  been  disposed  so  to  admire  and  extol  a  rival. 
But  if  we  refer  this  passage  to  the  court  and  fa- 
mily of  Pharaoh,  and  the  compliments  his  daughter 
received  on  setting  out  for  Judea,  I  think  the  pas- 
sage becomes  more  natural,  spirited,  and  beau- 
tiful;  and  we  wholly  avoid  the  difficulty  of  sup* 
posing  the  author  of  a  sacred  allegory  so  far  sunk 


■'  These  words  arc  in  the  Septuagint  and  Tavgum,  though 
the  former,  it  must  be  confessed,  is  notcorre6l,  as  it  omits 
pne  clause  and  adds  another. 


(     309     ) 

iii  luxury  and  voluptuousness.  As  to  the  com- 
pliments they  use,  the  last  image  only  is  attended 
with  difficulty,  and  must  be  referred,  I  think, 
to  some  grand  and  awful  pha^nomenon  in  the  sky, 
as  being  associated  with  the  fairness  of  the  daw^n, 
the  beauty  of  the  moon,  and  the  splendour  of 
the  sun ' . 


^  How  much  these  compar  isons  of  the  spouse  to  the 
heavenly  bodies  are  in  the  style  of  eastern  poetry  has  been 
already  hinted,  and  %vill  appear  lully  by  the  following-  quo- 
tations. 

In  Dr.  Balfour''?,  '  Forms  of  Herkern'  (a  collection  of 
Arabian  MS.  letters,  S^c.)  a  lover  t!ms  addresses  his  misr 
tress  :  '  O  moon  of  the  heaven  of  goodness  !  O  cypress  of 
*  the  garden  of  atteClion  I'  And  she  replies  :  '  The  moon 
>  of  my  beauty  may  soon  shine  from  the  window  ;  and  the 
'  tree  of  my  stature  may  cast  its  shadow  on  the  terrace.' 
(See  Mon.  Rev.  vol.  Ixxvi.  p.  592.) 

The  moon  is  an  eastern  emblem  of  chastity,  as  well  as 
beauty.  '  Moon  of  Canaan'  i&  an  epithet  their  writers 
usually  give  to  the  patriarch  Joseph.  Richardsott's  Speci- 
mens of  Persian  poetry,  p.  434. 

A  Persian  writer  says,  '  The  brightness  of  thy  face  is 
'  more  splendid  than  the  cheek  of  day.'  Jones'^  Pers. 
Gram.  p.  25.  And  the  expression  used  by  our  translators, 
,'  clear  as  the  sun,'  occurs  in  Bahur  Danush,  vol.  iii.  p.  6. 

Bp.  Percy-,  and  some  other  leai'ned  men,  have  thought 
that  from  the  stars  and  planets  being  called  the  hosis  of 
heaven,  that  they  might  be  here  intended  :  but  they  are 
always  designated  by  a  very  different  word  (n"iKi:»)  Subaoth. 
An  ingenious  critic  has  lately  suggested  that  a  comet  might 
possibly  be  intended,  aud  quotes  from  Richardson  the  fol- 
lowing Arabian  verses  : 

'  When  I  describe  your  beauty  my  thoughts  are  perplexed, 

'  Whether  to  compare  it 

'  To  the  sun,  to  the  moon,  or  to  the  wandering  star.' 

This  wandering  star  he  supposes  also  to  be  a  comet,  as 
well  as  the  streamers  in  our  text;  but  both  applications 
are    doubtful,  and   particularly  that  of  the   sacred  writer  : 


(     310     ) 

Here  I  divide  tlie  seclion,  and  would  relieve 
the  reader  from  the  dryness  of  these  remarks 
by  a  few  serious  rcfle6lions — avoidin!^  as  much 
as  possible  a  repetition  of  what  I  have  before  of^ 
fered. 

1.  The  church  of  God  is  compared  to  a  city, 
beautifully  situated — nobly  built — well  defended 
— and  elegantly  decorated.      '  Beautiful  for  situa- 

*  tion,  the  joy  of  the  vvhole  earth  is  mount  Zion, 
*-  the  city  of  the  great  King. — Walk  about  Zion, 

*  and  go  round  about  her  ;  tell  the  towers  thereof. 

*  Mark   ye   well    her  bulwarks,  consider  her  pa- 

*  laces  ;  that  ye  may  tell  it  to  the  generation  to 
'•  come ' .'  Yea,  the  glory  of  the  future  state  is  de- 
scribed by  the  image  of  a  great  and  glorious  city? 


and  as  Ihe  original  term  is  plural,  I  should  rather  refer  it 
to  the  aurora  borealis,  as  pcrfeclly  correspondinij  with  the 
epiihet  '  awful'  or  terrible,  and  as  well  desci'ibing  the 
splendour  of  the  spouse,  and  the  awe  inspired  by  her  ma- 
jestic presence. 

As,  however,  1  have  not  at  hand  evidence  that  this  phse- 
noinenon  is  particularly  observable  in  Judea  I  have  in  the 
comment  applied  the  passage  to  another  object,  v/hich,  if 
not  so  terrifying,  is  certainly  not  less  sublime  and  grand 
— the  sun  setting  behind  a  crimson  cloud,  and  gleaming 
between  its  interstices. 

After  all,  if  vre  must  confine  the  term  I  have  rendered 
streamers  to  bannered  hosts,  in-  a  sense  strictly  literal,  I 
can  in  some  measure  account  for  the  connexion  of  the 
images  from  the  caistern  usage  of  bearing  the  images  of 
the  heavenly  bodies  in  their  standards.  Thus  the  sun  be- 
hind a  lion  (sol  in  IcoJ  is  the  standard  of  che  Great  Mogul, 
and  that  of  the  crescent  (or  half  moon)  is  borne  by  the  fol- 
lov.'crs  of  IMahomet  ;  this  custom,  however  could  not,  I 
think,  be  adopted  by  the  Jev/s  themselves,  consistent  with 
the  Mosaic  iav/,  ti-.ough  the  Rabbins  tell  us  they  made  this 
tise  of  the  cherubic  figures. 

1  Ps.  xlviii.  2,   12.   13.  2  Rev.  :v::i. 


(     311     ) 

—the  New  Jerusalem  above — a  city  paved  with 
gold — whose  walls  are  precious  stones,  and  her 
gates  pearls.  Now  these  images  are  certainly- 
used  in  conformity  v/ith  our  weakness  and  our  pre- 
judices. Pleased  with  finery,  and  dazzled  with 
splendour,  our  little  minds  conceive  of  gold,  and 
silver,  and  precious  stones,  as  the  most  brilli- 
ant obje6\s  in  creation  ;  whereas  they  are  certain- 
ly but  faint  images  of  those  spiritual  and  sublime 
enjoyments  which  are  laid  up  for  us  in  glor}^. 
Imagine  a  youth  to  be  educated  in  a  subterrane- 
ous palace,  richly  decorated  and  brilliantly  illumi- 
nated with  a  thousand  lamps,  but  totally  secluded 
from  the  sun-beams.  You  wish,  Vvc  will  sup- 
pose, to  give  him  an  idea  of  the  rising  and  setting 
sun,  and  of  the  charms  of  nature.  You  paint  the 
pannels  of  his  room  with  figures  of  trees  and  flow- 
ers, and  all  the  charms  of  a  rural  landscape — you 
colour  his  ceiling  blue  to  describe  a  cloudless  sky, 
and  to  represent  the  sun  you  gild  the  cornice  with 
its  image  :  such  are  our  present  discoveries  of 
heaven  and  its  enjoyments.  But  take  this  seclu- 
ded youth  into  the  open  air — place  him  on  a  ri- 
sing ground — shew  him  a  surrounding  prospect 
of  meads,  and  groves,  and  gardens — and,  especi- 
ally point  him  to  the  setting  sun  on  yon  mountain 
— andwhatmust  be  his  astonishm.ent!  How  much 
must  these  objedls  exceed  in  beauty  and  in  glory 
his  utmost  conceptions  in  his  former  confinement  ? 
So  much  as  the  obje6ls  of  nature  exceed  those  of 
art,  do  spiritual  obje61:s  exceed  those  purely  natu- 
ral ;  and  far  more  will  the  glories  of  the  heavenly 
state  exceed   all   the  brilliancies  of  nature. 


(     512     ) 

Many  think  that  the  church  is  compared  to  a 
city  for  ner  regularity  and  good  discipline,  her 
judicious  police^  if  we  may  so  speak  ;  and  we 
may  observe  that  a  chief  circumstance  which  af- 
fected the  queen  of  Sheba,  So  that  there  was^ no 
more   spirit   in  her,  was   '  the  sitting  (or  disposi- 

*  tion)  of  Solomon's  servants,  the  attendance  of 
'  his  ministers','  &c.  So  Thcodoret  (addressing 
the   church)  says,  '  They  are  astonished  who  be- 

*  hold    thy  order,  there  being  nothing  disorderly^ 

*  nothing  uncertain  or  undetermined,  nothing  con- 

*  fused  and  indistin6l ;   but.  all    orderly  appointed 

*  and  judiciously  determined''-' 

2.  Passing  over  the  repeated  passage,  I  remark, 
that  the  church  in  \\tY  prosperity  is  the  admira- 
ration  and  envy  of  the  world.  By  her  prosperi- 
ty 1  do  not  so  much  intend  her  outward  glory  as 
her  inward  purity.  In  the  golden  days  of  primi- 
tive Christianity,  when,  in  the  language  of  the 
christian   prophet,    she    was    '  clothed   with  the 

*  son,'  how  much  was  she   admired  !   '  See  how^ 

*  these  chrisians  love  !'  w^as  a  proverb  among  the 
heathen  :  but  as  admiration  in  base  minds  always 
produces  envy,  so  the  surprise  of  the  heathen  of- 
ten ended  in  persecution — they  admired,  and 
hated  christians.  Nor  is  this  a  circumstance  to~ 
be  referred  only  to  ages  back,  or  distant  countries. 
The   gOL,pel  faithfully  preached,    and   succeeded 


'■  Kings  X.   5.  '   ^tt  Patrick 'wiloCf 


(     313     ) 

Vith  the  divine  blessing,  will  produce  more  or 
less,  the  same  efte6\s  on  the  lives  of  its  professors, 
and  on  the  tempers  of  its  enemies.  A  gracious 
chara6\er  will  al\^•ays  attract  the  resT)e6l  and  ap- 
probation of  spectators  ;  but  it  will  not,  of  itself, 
subdue  their  enmity  to  holiness ;  they  approve 
the  charadcr,  but  they  hate  the  person,  and  his 
religion. 

3.  The  true  church  is  a  singular  and  distin- 
guished character,  she  is  an  only  one — the  only 
one  of  her  mother  and  of  her  beloved.  There 
are  many  v.ho  assume  that  sacred  character,  who 
pretend  to  love  and  belong  to  Christ ;  but  the 
true  church  is  distinguished  by  her  simplicity, 
purity,  and  attachment  to  her  Lord.  From  this 
and  the  like  passages,  Cyprian  [Epis.  75]  un- 
dertakes to  prove  against  the  hereticks  of  his  time, 
the  unity  of  the  church  ;  and  this  must  be  grant- 
ed if  properly  explained  :  but  the  true  unity  of 
the  church  consists,  not  in  a  conformity  in  rites 
and  ceremonies,  and  church  government :  but 
in  being  united  to  Christ  the  head,  and  in  union 
of  heart  and  spirit  among  the  members.  We 
have  happily  proved,  in  the  present  day,  that 
there  are  some  in  almost  all  denominations,  who, 
notwithstanding  great  dilTerences  in  circumstan- 
tials, can  unite  heart  and  hand,  to  promote  the 
common  cause  of  Christianity. 

4.  We  have  the  true  character  of  the  church 
with  her  progressive  glory.  First,  in  the  patri- 
archal dispensation,  she  looked  forth  as  the  grey 
daivnor  morning  dusk,  with  some  gleams  of  light 

Rr 


(     314     ) 

in'ancient  prophecy  ;  then  under  the  Moslac  dis- 
pensation  she   acquired  the  beauty   of  the  moon; 
and   as  that  plannet  reficfts  the  beams  of  the  sun, 
cooled   and  weakened  in  their  effe6\,  so  that  dis- 
pensation presents  a  faint  tho'  beautiful  image  of 
divine  truth.     At  length,  the  path  of  the  just  like 
that  of  the  light,   shhiing  more  and  more  unto  the 
perfe6l    day,  the   church   was  '  clothed  with  tlie 
*  Sun   of  righteousness,'  and    under    the    gospel 
dispensation  shincsforth  in  all  its  splendour.   Still 
proceeding  in  her    course,  her  light  was  partially 
intercepted  by  the  clouds  of  persecution,  and  she 
became  like  the  evening  streamers   of  a   western 
sky — shone    gloriously   in  martyrdom  and    death 
— and  sunk  beneath  the  shades  of  papal  ignorance 
and   superstition,  until    the   glorious  morning  of 
the  reformation. 

The  course  of  an  individual  believer  is  like  that 
of  the  church,  considered  as  a  body.  First,  he 
receives  the  dawn  of  ..light,  in  the  convi6lion  of 
his  sin  and, guilt— this  light  advances  in  the  in- 
crease of  knowledge,  and  gradual  san6lification, 
till  it  assumes  the  beauty  of  the  moon,  and  the 
glory  of  the  sun  ;-  at  length  clouds  arise,  and  ob- 
scure for  a  time,  perhaps,  his  happiness  and  com- 
fort, with  afflidion  or  persecutiori  : — at  length, 
he  finishes  his  race  v.'ith  glory,  like  the  setting 
sun  ;  and  sinks  into  the  grave,  to  arise  again  in 
the  morning  of  the  resurre6tion. 

Mr.  Hervey  considers  these  emblems  in  a 
different  point  of  view ' '  He  compares  the  church 
to  the  moon  in  her  san6lification,  and  to  the  sun 

1  Contemplations  on  the  Night.     Note. 


(     315     ) 

in  her  justification.     In  the  former  respesSl   we 
may  well  compare  her 


'  To  the  moon 


'   Dark  in  herself,  and  indigent ;  but  rich 
*  In  borrowed  lustre  from  a  higher  sphere.' 

VOUNG. 

Nor  is  the  other  comparison  lest  just;  for 
certainly  when  clothed  with  the  robes  of  rij'-h- 
teousness,  the  righteousness  of  God  our  Sa- 
viour, she  may  well  be  compared  to  the  orb  of 
day,  for  purity  and  glory.  For  then  Jehovah 
himself  sees  '  no  iniquity  in  Jacob' — no  '  per- 
*  verseness  in  Israel;'  bat  pronounces  her  al- 
together beautiful  and  comely,  through  the  come- 
liness, he  puts  upon  her. 

If  we  thus  disjoint  the  metaphor,  and  give 
up  the  climax,  in  which  I  am  by  no  means  con- 
fident, we  may  then  refer  the  last  metaphor,  as  I 
have  already  hinted,  to  some  more  awful  and 
terrifying  objecl ;  to  the  northern-lights  for  in- 
stance, which  are  sometimes  very  vivid,  and 
excite  great  alarm  among  the  vulgar,  who  imagine 
to  themselves  the  confli6l  of  '  bannered  hosts'  in 
the  sky,  and  consider  thein  as  predi61ive  of 
terrible  wars  and  revolutions  on  the  earth.  Con- 
sidering believers  under  this  military  image, 
as  properly  the  church  militant^  we  may  observe 
that  the  state  here  below  is  a  state  of  perpetual 
conflict,  in  which  they  are  supported,  and  made 
more  than  conquerors,  through  the  Captain  of 
of  their  salvation. 


(     316     ) 


Ch.  VI.  Ver.  11—13. 

Bridegroom.      Into  tlie  p;arden  of  nuts  I  went  do\vn» 
To  examine  the  fruits  of  the  valley  : 
To  see  if  the  vine  buckled, 
If  the  pomegranates  blossomed. 
E'er  I  was  aware,  my  soul  placed  me 
[/i.s  itweic]  on  the  chariots  of  Amminadib. 

Virgin  1.  Return,  return,  O  Solima, 

Return,  return,  tliat  we  may  behold  thee. 

Virgin  2.  What  would  ye  behold  in  Solima  ? 

Virgin  1.  As  it  were  the  chorus  of  two  bands. 

In  the  first  lines  of  this  paragraph  the  Bride- 
groom, after  relating  the  commendations  the 
spouse  had  received  from  her  own  sex,  adds,  that 
when  he  left  her  to  go  alone  into  his  garden, 
she  so  occupied  his  mind,  that  he  instantly  as 
it  were  turned  back,  and  seeing  her  at  a  dis- 
tance flew  to  meet  her.  Then  her  heart  seems 
to  misgive  her,  and  she  withdraws,  upon  w  hich 
the  chorus  of  virgins  calls  on  her  repeatedly  to 
turn  again,  and  wait  for  his  approach. 

Such  appears  to  me  the  general  outline  of 
the  drama ;  but  there  are  difiiculties  in  the 
raeaning  of  particular  words,  not  so  easy  to  be 
explained.  What  for  instance  was  the  garden 
of  nuts  r*  and  why  go  down  among  the  nuts  in 
the  valley  to  examine  the  vines  and  pome- 
granates, Vi'hich  generally  grew  upon  the 
hills  ? 

That  the  word  is  rightly  rendered  nuts^  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  on  the  authority  of  the  Sep- 
tuaglnt,  the  Vulgate,  the  Targum,  and  the  ma- 
jority   of   Jewish    as    well   as    Christian  exposi- 


(     317     ) 

tors'.  That  these  grew  in  the  vallej^s  may 
easily  be  admitted.  It  appears  also,  from  au- 
thorities produced  by  Mr.  Harmlr,  that  the 
eastern  gardens  arc  generally  planted  in  low  si- 
tuations ;  for  the  conveniency  of  water,  and  Jo- 
SEPiius  tells  us  that  the  nut  tree  (though  a  cu- 
rious exotic  in  th.t  country!  flourished  in  Galilee, 
near  the  lake  of  Gencsareth,  along  with  plants  of 
a  warmer  region^.  What  particular  species  of 
nut  be  here  intended,  the  walnut,  the  filberd, 
&c.  is  hardly  worth  discussion;  but  Dr.  Shaw, 
who  votes  for  the  former,  tells  us  that  these  trees 
begin  to  be  very  shady  and  pleasant  by  the  time 
the  vines  blossom. 

Whether  Amminadlb^  be  taken   for  the  pro- 


■*   See  Poll  Synnp.  and  Gill  in  loc.  B'lt  Mi'.  Parkhurstf 

following  the  derivation  ot"  the  word  \\\'iii  for  13),   explains 

it  of  a  garden  pruned  or  cultivated  :  '  liorius  /)utatos,'  Tre- 

melliub  :     '  Putal;onis    vel  tonsionis,  Jun.     Piscator.     See- 
Castell.  Lex.  Hept.  in  13X. 

2  Joseph,  de  bell.  Jud.  lib.  iii.  chap.  35.  "The  ce^ebntcd 
Song  of  Ibrahim,  says  also,  '  I   nvcnt  down   to  admire    the 

*  beauty  of  the  vines.' 

3  This  verse  is 'remarkably  obscure  and  doubt "ii I ;  for, 
1.  the  JNIS.  and  versions  so  vary  as  to  make  the  reading  of 
the  original  very  doubtful.  Twenty  MSS.  and  one  editioa 
read  (rilD^Toy)  Jlmmitiadil)  m  one  yvovd:  five,  of  these  MoiS. 
and  two  editions,  point  the  word  so  as  to  deteri?iine  it  to  be 
the  proper  name.  Many  other  MSS.  read  it  in  one  word, 
with  the  insertion  of  a  sccondjfod,  y<i2^2]^.  The  most  anti'  nt 
versions  also  consider  it  as  the  name  of  an  individual.  liXX, 
ipiMxlx  A^AiixoxQ  :   Fulgate,  <■  Quadrigas  Aminadab  .'    Tigur.  jce, 

*  Currus  Aminadib.' — On  the  other  hand,  it  must  be  ccn- 
fessed,  the  general  current  of  the  copi'js  both  MSS.  and 
printed,  runs  for  the  division  of  this  word  into  two  n3  ^y, 
'  th'j  chariots  of  my  w///;>i^,  noble,  or  princely  yjco/'/e.'     So 


(     518     ) 

per  name  of  some  eminent  charioteer,  or  should 
be  translated,  as  in  our  margins,  is  extremely- 
doubtful.  Either  way,  the  meaning  seems  to  be, 
that  the  afFe^lions  of  the  prince  carried  him  to 
meet  his  love  \\  ith  the  rapidity  of  a  chariot — the 
chariot  of  a  warrior,  a  racer,  or  a  prince.  But  by 
what  name  do  the  virgins  here  describe  the 
spouse,  and  to  what  do  they  compare  her  ;  They 
call  her  the  Shulamitc^  ^  the  bride  of  Solomon,  and 


Monianus,  '  Quadritjx  populi  m'ji  muuifici  :'  Pa^niiis^  '  Qua- 
'  drigx  populi  ir.ei  spontanei  :'  Junius,  '  Curribus  populi 
'  meiingenui:'  Corce/z/^,  '  Curribus  populi  mci  voluntarii.' 
Also  Aben  Ezra,  Jarchi,  and  other  rabbins,  as  well  as 
Christian  expositors. 

But  2d.  If  v/e  could  ascertain  the  reading,  there  is  still  a 
difficulty  in  the  translation.  The  Hebrew  literally  reads, 
'  I  knew  not,'  Ony]>  Kb)  /.  e.  I  was  insensible,  as  it  were, 
at  the  moment ;  just  as  Paul  says,  ••  Whether  in  the  body, 

*  oroutof  the  body,  /  know  not ;  God  knoweth.'  (2  Cor. 
xii.  2 — 4) — '  My  soul  set  me,'  /.  e,  says  Dr.  Hadgsony 
'  My  soul  placed  for  me — or  my  fancy  conceived* — •  My 
<  afieflion  transported  me,'  says  the  editor  of  Calmet  ; 
vv-hich,  as  a  paraphrase  is  very  good,  but  not  literal.  Le 
Clerc  translates  it,    '  Non  novi  qui  anima   mea  me   fecerit 

*  instar  quadrigarum  Hammi-nadibi ;'  and  Bp.  Percy,  <■  I 
'  knew  not  [the  irresolution  of]  my  mind  ;  [which]  made 
'  raj  [withdraw  swift  as]  the  chariots  of  Amminadib.'  I 
ini_^ht  go  on  ;  but  this  is  enough  to  shew  the  general  sense 
of  the  text,   and  the  difficulty  of  being  more  exa6l. 


1  The  original  (n^):i':m''n)  is  evidently  equivocal,  and  I 
have  endeavoured  to  preserve  the  ambiguity.  It  may 
either  be  rendered  the  Shulamite,  meaning  an  inhabitant  of 
Jeru-iileni  ;  or  Solima,  as  the  feminine  of  Solomon  (nnbty), 
and  implying  her  relation  to  him.  The  former,  it  must  be 
confessed,  has  the  authority  of  most  antient  versions  and 
Gominentators ;  but  the  latter,  which  was-  suggested  by 
Mcnochius  (de  Repub.  Heb.  lib.  iii.  cap.  2  1.  n.  14),  and  isi 
cour.t^nanccd  by  Aquila  (who  translates  the  word  e'fyivsiovaactif 
pacific)  is  followed  by  most  of  the  modern  translators,  par* 


(     319     ) 

tompare  her  to  the  union  of  two  companies — but 
whether  of  dancers,  musicians,  or  warriors,  is  a 
question  not  easily  determined.  Mahanaim '  may 
even  be  a  proper  name,  as  well  as  Amminadib, 
and  still  the  general  idea  may  be  the  same — that 
in  ber  were  united  every  captivating  charm,  and 
every  agreeable  qualification. 

On  the  allegory  I  would  offer  a  few  hints,  which 
the  reader  may  reje6l  or  improve,  as  he  thinks 
proper. 

1.  There  is  a  variety  of  plants  in  the  LorJ's 
garden — the  nut — the  vine — the  pomegranate. 
So  the  prophets  speak  of  cedars  and  box-trees, 
firs,  and  myrtles.  And  the  New  Testament  wri- 
ters have  taught  us  to  admire  a  variety  in  the  gifts 
and  graces  of  the  Spirit,  as  well  as  in  the  attain- 
ments and  e^iperience  of  believers. 


ticiilarly  Bp.  Percy.  The  name  Solima  is  equally  equivo- 
cal, being  used  by  Pope  for  Salem  or  Jerusalem  ('  Ye 
nymphs  of  Solima  begin  the  song'),  and  as  a  proper  name 
of  females  in  the  east.  (See  Sir  W.  Jones's  Ode,  entitled, 
Solima).  Mr.  Harmer  prefers  the  former  sense,  in  order 
to  support  his  hypothesis  of  t^vo  wives,  as  he  thinks  the 
term  not  applicable  to  Pharaoh's  daughter  ;  but  might  it 
not,  even  in  his  sense  of  it,  be  used  to  compliment  her  as 
now  become  a  citizen  of  Jerusalem  ? 

1  This  term  (C3^2n?3n)  has  led  many  commentators,  both 
Jewish  and  Christian,  to  suppose  here  an  allusion  to  the 
history  of  Jacob,  who,  when  he  had  a  vision  of  angels, 
called  the  place  by  this  name,  Mcihanaim.,  saying,  '  This 
'  is  God's  host,'  or  rather  camp.  But  the  word  is  used 
for  other  than  mililary,  or  even  encamped  bodies.  (See 
1  Chron.  ix.  18,  19.)  Accordingly  the  LXX  read  us  ypfoi 
rm  ijocfti/.QoKuv^  and  the  Vulgate^  '  Nisi  choros  castrorum.* 
The  woid  \^n'jn?D)  chorus.,  applies  properly  to  a  conqjany 
of  dancers  or  singers;  and  the  allusion  is  here  probably  to 
the  two  choruses,  or  semi-choruses,  which  accon)panled 
the  bride  and  bridegroom. 


(     320     ) 

2.  Christ's  plants  flourish  in  an  humble  sltua» 
tion — in  the  valley — by  the  brook  side'.  It  is  in 
the  moist  soil  of  repentance,  watered  b}-  the  in- 
fluences of  the  Spirit,  that  the  Christian  graces 
flourish  best — that  believers  grow  most  rapidly  in 
divine  knowledge  and  experience. 

3.  The  Lord  condescends  to  visit  these  humbl6 
spots  :  Thus  saith  the  high  and  lofty  one,  he  that 
inhabiteth   eternity,   '  to    that  man   will    1    look, 

*  tliat  is  poor,  and  contrite,  and  trembleth  at  my 

*  word.' 

4.  The  Lord  so  tenderly  loves  his  church  and 
people,  that  he  is  ever  ready  to  fly  to  their  assis- 
tance. The  Beloved  is  represented  in  the  begin- 
nins:  of  the  setlion  as  absent — and  Ions:  did  the 
church  seek  him  in  vain,  because  she  sought  him 
in  improper  v.ays.  But  no  sooner  does  she  re- 
collect that  he  was  gone  down  into  his  garden, 
and  attempts  to  seek  him  there,  than  (like  the 
father  of  the  prodigal,  who  saw  his  son  at  a  great 
distance,  and  ran  to  receive  him)  he  flew  to  meet 
the  cbje6l  of  his  afle6lions  with  the  utmost  ardor. 

5.  Those  who  truly  seek  the  Lord  are  some- 
times afraid  to  meet  him  :  their  hearts  misgive 
them,  and  notv/ithstanding  all  his  promises,  they 
conclude  the  Lord  will  not  receive  such  unworthy 
creatures. 


1  So  the  LXX  rena*  r  it,  •^ivyif^xa-i  ra  y^nusifpov.,  '  the  shooti* 
•  of  the  brook  ;'  and  the  same  word  in  the  Heb.  i^brrj)  i?. 
both  a  valley  and  a  stream,  because,  in  the  rainy  seasonp-. 
Streams  are  formed  by  torrents  in  the  valleys. 


{     321     ) 

6»  The  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife,  bears  his  name 
^iid  chara6ter  upon  her^  She  is  a  Shulamite^  an 
inhabitant  of  Jerusalem — the  city  of  peace,  be- 
cause the  Lord,  when  he  writeth  up  the  people, 
will  record  that  this  and  that  man,  the  members 
^of  his  church,  were  born  there.  She  is  Solima, 
the  bride  of  the  true  Solomon — the  Prince  of 
peace,  and  therefore  (at  least  in  our  translation) 
she  bears  the  name  *  Jehovah  our  righteousness* 
upon  her*. 

7.  The  church  is  an  objecl  of  admiration  to  all 
around  her.  *  What  will  ye  see  in  the  Shula- 
,mite  ? — As  it  were  the  chorus  of  two  bands.' 
Some  writers  have  explained  these  two  bands  of 
the  Jews  and  Gentiles  as  united  in  one  chorus — 
One  song  of  praise  to  God  and  to  the  Lamb. 
Others  explain  the  image  of  an  union  and  co-ope- 
ration in  their  exertions  ;  and  one  ingenious  wri- 
ter, of  a  variety  of  perfections  and  excellencies, 
which,  though  seemingly  opposite  and  inconsis- 
tent, unite,  harmonize,  blend,  like  two  corres- 
ponding choirs.  Either  of  these  ideas  may  use- 
fully occupy  our  meditations,  or  they  may  be  join- 
ed wiihaut  confusion  or  absurdity. 


^  Jer.  xxxiii.  16« 


Ss 


(     522    ] 
SECTION  XL 

Ch.  VII.  Ver.  1—9. 

1st  Virgin.     How  beautiful  are  thy  feet  in  sandah, 

0  prince's  daughter  ! 

The    cinClure  of  >liy  loins  is  like  jewellery, 

The  work,  of  an  artist's  hands. 

Thy  clasp    a  round  goblet,  which  wanteth  not 

mixed  wine  : 
Thy  body  a  heap  of  wheat,  encompassed  with 

lilies. 
Thy  breasts  are  like  twin  fawns  of  the  roe  : 
Thy  neck  is  like  a  tower  of  ivory. 
Thine  eyes  are  as  the  pools  in  Heshbon, 
By  the  gate  of  13ath-rabbim  : 
Thy  nose  is  like  the  tower  of  Lebanon, 
Looking  towards  Damascus. 
Thy  head  upon  thee  is  like  Carmel, 
And  the  tresses  of  thy  head  like  the  Porpura. 

2d  Virgin.      The  king  is  detained  in  the  galleries. 

Bridegroom,  How  beautiful    and  how  pleasing  art  thou,  O 
love,   for  delights  !  s 

This  thy  stature  is  like  the  palm-tree, 
And  thy  breasts  are  like  [its]  clusters. 

1  said,  I  will  ascend  tne  palm-tree  ; 
I  will  clasp  its  branches  : 

And  thy  breasts  shall  be  to  me  as  clusters  of 

the  vine. 
And  the  odour  of  thy  breath  like  citrons. 
Also  thy  mouth  is  as  the  best  wine, 
Which  is  sent  to  those  wJiom  I  love  for  their 

integrity  ; 
And  causeth   the  lips  of  them  who  are  asleep 

to  murmur. 

Spouse,  I  am  my  beloved's,  and  his  desire  is  toward  me. 


THE  scene  here  is  commonly  supposed  to  be 
that  of  ihe  virgins  dressing  the  bride  in  the  morn- 
ing, in  order  to  receive  the  bridegroom,  who,  in 


(     323     ) 

the  following  verses,  is  admitted,  and  compliments 
the  bride  anew.  But  I  confess  I  have  my  doubts 
whether  the  sc6lion  should  not  have  begun  soon- 
er ;  namely,  with  the  invitation  of  the  chorus^ 
*  Return,  O  Solima,'  &c.  Such  at  least  is  the 
division  of  some  critics ;  but  in  a  matter  so 
doubtful  and  unimportant,  I  have  followed  the 
majority. 

We  have  already  considered  the  description  as 
referring  chiefly  to  the  bride's  dress,  and  in  the 
general  I  am  confident  we  are  right,  though  I  have 
doubts  upon  some  particulars.  How  important 
an  article  of  female  ornament  the  sandals  were 
considered,  we  learn  from  the  instance  of  Judith^ 
whose  *  sandals  ravished  the  eyes  of  Holof ernes ' .' 
The  *  cin61:ure  of  thy  loins^'  was  the  girdle,  fas- 
tened with  a  ruby  clasp,  which  might  properly 


1  Jxulith,  ch.  xvi.  9.  So  Lady  W.  Montague,  describing 
her  eastern  dress,  says  her  shoes  were  of  white  kid  leather, 
embroidered  vjith  gold.     See  Harmer's  Sol.  Song.  p.  107. 

^  *  The  cincture  of  thy  loins.'  This,  beside  its  decency, 
is  more  accurate  and  literal  than  the  vulgar  rendering. 
Mr.  Parkhiirst  (after  Harmer)  Supposes  the  radical  idea  of 
this  word  (pnn)  '  to  withdraw,  retire,'  Sec.  but  I  conceive 
the  old  lexicographers  were  right  in  rendering  the  verb 
*  circuivit,'  to  go  round  about.  So  Jer.  xxxi.  22.  '  How 
'  long  wilt  ihou  go  about,  O  thou  backsliding  daughter  ?' 
(Usque  quo  circuibis  filia  adversatrix  ?) — The  Lord  shall 
create  a  new  thing  in  the  earth,  '  a  woman  shall  compas* 
<  a  man  :'  (femina  circundabit  virum.  Pagninus :)  where 
there  seems  an  allusion  between  the  members  of  the  verse, 
which  renders  it  highly  probable,  according  to  the  laws 
of  Hebrew  paraUelisniy  that  they  are  synonimous.  So  in 
this  Song,  chap.  v.  6.  '  My  beloved  had  withdrawn  ;'  li- 
terally was  gone  round,  /.  e.  to  the  other  side  of  the  house. 
Now,  if  we  are  right  in  the  radical  idea,  the  word  must 
here  men,  as  Cocceius  and  others  have  explained  it| 
Ivffi'^cvfAxix,  qua;   ambiunt    femora    tua^    '  what    is    girded 


(     324     ) 

be  compared  to  a  cup  of  wine^     The  next  part 
of  the  dress  has  been  referred  to  the  vest  em- 


'  about  thy  tliighs  or  loin?.'  [See  Leigfi's  Grit.  Sac.  and 
Purkhuri,t  in  vcibum.]  '  Ambitus  femorum  tuorum.' 
Buxtorf^   Illercerus^    Junius. 

The  original  word  for  jewellery,  »3\sebrr,  according  ta 
Fai-kfiurst,  means  engraved  ornaments  ;  but  the  particle  oi' 
comparison  (3)  being  inserted  in  the  original  '  ///^f  jewelle- 

*  ry,'  must  mean  open  work  or  embroidery.  The  cinclurc 
here  intended  then,  is  a  girdle  richly  embroidered  in  imi- 
tation of  jewellery,  or  the  art  of  the  goldsmith,  and  proba- 
bly fastened  in  the  front  by  a  clasp,  cut  in  the  form  of  a 
covered  cup  or  goblet,  and  which  if  cut  in  a  rubj  would 
appear  a  goblet  filled  with  wine.  But  the  chief  difficulty 
vests  in  the  next  word,  usually  rendered  navel. 

^  The  word  sharer  (l"i'ty)  certainly  signifies  ximbilicus^  the 
navel,  and  if  so  taken  here,  must  not  be  referred  to  the  out- 
ward form,  but  to  the  use  of  this  part  in  affording  nourish- 
ment to  \.\\x^  fietus  in  the  womb  ;  and  in  that  respe^l  be  con- 
sidered as  a  cup  or  goblet  JiUed  with  wine  :  if  so,  this 
expression  is  of  the  same  nature  with  the  following,  '  thy 
'  body  is  an  heap  of  v.heat,'  both  intimating  the  abundant 
fertility  of  the  spouse.  But  as  several  kindred  words  de- 
rived from  the  same  root  are  applied  to  articles  of  dress  or 
ornament,  as  (nnU')  bracelets,  or  perhaps  necklaces,  i^pW) 
a  breast-plate,  ("iiy'iU')  a  chain,  or,  in  short,  any  ornament 
round  like  a  ring,  or  composed  of  a  series  of  rings  : — as 
several  words  from  tiie  same  root  are  thus  applied,  Bp. 
Patrick^  Mr.  Ilarmer,  Parkhurst,  h.c.  have  considered  this 
as  referring  to  the  clasp  of  the  cin6\urc  or  girdle,  which 
(according  to  the  radical  idea)  fastens  and  regulates  the 
whoh'  dress.  Now  we  know  that  the  ladies,  in  various  parts 
of  the  east,  display  their  taste  in  ornaments  of  this  nature, 
and  in  particular  Nicbulir  mentions  a  lady  of  Alexandria, 
whose  clasp  \ya3  in  tlie  form  of  two  little  oval  shields,  with 
a  fiower  in  the  middle.  (Voy.  en  Arab.  tab.  xxiv.  vol.  I.) 
iSlow  if  the  clasp  of  this  royal  spouse  were  made  of  a  ruby, 
and  ill  the  shape  of  a  cup,  poetry  would  very  naturally  call 
it  a  cup  of  wine.  Moreover,  because  the  original  word 
rendered  round  (px)  in  Chaldec  signifies  the  moon,  some 
of  the  rabbins  have  suggested  that  this  may  intend  the 
same  ornament  referred  to  in   Isa.  iii.  18. — '  round  tire^ 

*  like  the  moon.' 


(     325     ) 

broidered*  with  a  wheat-sheaf  and  with  lilies*; 
but  I  rather  consider  it  as  a  compliment  quite  in 

That  the  eastern  wines  are  red.,  and  that  their  cups  are 
spherical  and  highly  polished,  appears  from  the  folloAving 
couplet  of //fl/(?z,   [Richardson's  Spec,  of  Persian  Poetry.] 

*  approach,  O  Sophy,  [this]  cup  which  is  a  pure  mirror, 

*  In  order  that  thou  may'st  behold  [in  it]  the  delightful- 

'  ness  of  ruby  coloured-wine.' 

^  Pp.  Patrick  considers  both  the  cup  and  the  tvheat  en- 
Compassed  MHth  lilies^  as  fig-ures  embroidered  on  the  vesl 
with  tiold  and  silver  :  by  the  former  he  understands  a  ba- 
son or  fountain  in  the  centre,  and  by  the  latter  a  harvest 
scene  wrou£j;ht  about  it,  somewhat  similar  to  what  Homer 
tells  us  was  wrousrhtby  Vulcan  on  the  shield  of  Achilles. 
The  hte  editor  of  Calmet  has  sui^gested  that  the  compa- 
rison here  intended  is  that  of  the  vest  (  or  boddice)  fastened 
with  a  girdle,  to  a  sheaf  of  wheat  tied  about  with  lilies. 
This  is  elegant  and  ingenious,  but  (supposing  the  ancients 
tied  their  wheat  in  sheafs)  the  word  here  used  (n?3iy)  is 
not  a  sheaf,  but  a  heap  of  naked  wheat,  or  corn  threshed  out. 
(See  Parkhurst  in  nmir-  and  the  texts  there  referred  to.) 

But  after  all.  as  (psi  6itten,  certainly  refers  primarily  to 
the  body,  and  is  often  used  as  synonimous  with  (cam) 
womb,  [see  Ps.  xxii.  9,  10.]  I  prefer  considering  this  as  a 
compliment  to  the  bride  on  her  fertility.  So  Selden  says, 
'  wheat  and  barley  were  among  the  ancient  Hebrews  em- 
'  blems  of  fertility  :  and  it  was  usual  for  standers-by  to 
'  scatter  these  grains  upon  the  married  couple,  with  a  wish 
'  that  they  might  increase    and  multiply.     Perhaps  (adds 

*  he)  the  passage  in  the  text  is  a  predifilion    of  the  bride'g 

*  fertility.'  [Uxor  Hebraica,  lib.  ii.  cap.  i5.]  A  custom 
which  might  probably  originate  from  this  passage,  or  vice 
versa.     B'ither  way  it  offers  a  happy  illustration. 

The  lilies  which  surround,  or  rather  cover  this  wheat,  I 
would  refer  to  a  robe  of  fine  linen,  pure  and  white,  embroi- 
dered perhaps  with  lilies,  which  were  the  most  usual  or- 
naments of  the  Hebrews.  When  the  corn  was  laid  in 
heaps,  I  suppose  a  quantity  of  field  lilies  were  thrown 
[Heb.  turned^  over  it,  to  proteSl  it  from  the  birds  ;  or  ra- 
ther perliaps  as  Mr.  Arthur  Jackson  suggests,  in  the  man- 
ner of  garlands,  as  a  token  of  joy  ;  and  to  this  I  suppose 
the  allusion  in  the  text. 


(     326     3 

the  Jewish  style,  on  her  expelled  fertility,  her 
innocence,  and  purity. — So  Mrs.  Rowe  ; 

'  Like  summer  Harvests  fruitful,  and  as  fair 
'  As  silver  lilies  in  their  snowy  pride.' 

The  neck  and  bosom  are  described  in  nearly 
the  same  terms  as  before'.  The  eyes,  clear, 
dark,  and  full,  are  compared  to  the  pools  in  Hesh- 
bon*  ,  and  her  nose,  as  the  index  of  a  strong 
mind,  is  compared  to  the  abutment  of  a  tower  ^. 
Her  head,  crowned  with  flowerets,  is  compared  to 


'  The  only  observeable  difference  is,  that  the  neck  is  here 
compared  to  a  tower  of /'jor^ — not  that  Solomon  had  such  a 
tower  but  because  her  neck  was  ereft  like  a  tower,  and 
■white  as  ivory.  So  Anacreon  uses  the  expression  [tXtpavlivsr 
T^jt;y^-')Xoy]  an  ivory  neck,  in  describing  a  handsome  person. 
It  may  be  here  recolle6led  that  the  spouse,  chap.  i.  describes 
herself  as  brown  or  swarthy,  but  then  she  says  this  colour 
v,-as  adventitious,  she  was  sun-burnt ;  but  as  her  bosom  might 
v.ot  be  thus  exposed,  that  might  properly  be  compared  to 
ivory,  if  not  to  snow. 

3  The  gate  of  Bathrabbim  was  properly  one  of  the  gates 
of  Keshbon,  which  led  to  Rabbath  or  Rabba,  called  a  city 
of  waters,  perhaps  from  the  pools  here  referred  to.  See 
Numb.  xxi.  26.  2  Sam.  xii.  27.  Jer.  xlix.  3.  The  compa- 
rison of  the  eyes  to  pools  is  classical  and  elegant.  So  Phi- 
lostratus  (as    quoted    in  Patrick),  says,  *  Thou  seemest  to 

*  crtrry  water,  as   it  were  from  the  fountain  of  thine  eyes, 

*  and  therefore  to  be  one  of  the  nymphs.' 

3  '  Tliis  tov.'cr  of  Lebanon,  says  Dr.  Gill,  seems  to  be 
f  one  that  was  built  in   or  near  the  forest  of  Lebanon,  and 

*  Ti'as  a  frontier  lower  for  that  part  of  the  country  which 

*  lar  towards  Damascus.'  To  this  tower,  with  its  abut- 
ment, is  compared  a  fine  well-proportioned  human  nose, 
which  has  always  been  considered  as  no  small  beauty,  and, 
by  physiop;nomists,  as  the  indication  of  a  great  mind.  La- 
vater   savs,  '1  have    generally  considered,  the  nose  as  the 

*  foundation,  or   abutment   of   the  brain.     Whoever  is    ac- 

*  quaintcd  with  the  gothic  arch,  will  perfe6\Iy  understand 


(     327    ) 

Carmei^ ,  and  the  tresses  of  her  head  are  rolled  np 
in  the  spiral  form  of  the porpura"- » 


•what  I  mean  by  this  abutment:  for  upon  this  the  arch  of 
'  the  forehead  rests.'  After  describing  a  good  nose  he  adds, 
'  Such  a  nose  is  worth  a  kingdom. ' 

*  Carmel  '  was  a  very  fruitful  mountain,  whose  top  was 
*  covered  with  vines,  corn-fields,  and  fruitful  trees  :'  sec 
Isa.  XXXV.  2.  Amos  i.  2.  The  allusion  is  to  the  nuptial 
crown,  or  garland,  made  of  flowers,  See.  which  Wvis  worn 
by  the  bride  on  the  marriage  day  :  and  this  may  denote  the 
graces  of  the  blessed  Spirit,  which  are  an  ornament  of  grace 
to  the  head,  &c.  GilL—Philostratus  (as  quoted  by  Patrick) 
has  the  same  image,  refei  ring  to  artificial  flowers:  '  Thy 
head  is  a  '  large  meadow  full  of  flowers  ;  which  are  never 
'  wanting  in  the  suntmer,  and  disappear  not  in  the  winter.' 

*  '  The  tresses  [Heb.  branches]  of  thine  head  like  \.h&por- 
^  pura.'  On  no  passage  in  this  song  are  the  critics  more 
divided  than  on  this.  Some  say  '  like  purple,'  or  scarlet; 
but  ihese  are  not  proper  colours  for  the  hair  :  others  refer 
it  to  the  fillet  or  hair  lace  ;  still  the  note  of  comparison  is 
unaccountably  redundant. 

The  Vulgate  ^-ixys,  like  royal-purple  bound  in  the  canals  j 
7.  e.  says  Mons.  Goguet,  the  canals  of  the  dyers,  who  dyed 
their  wool  in  little  bundles  before  weaving.  The  eastern 
ladies  to  this  day  wear  their  hair  lied  in  a  great  number  of 
tresses  down  their  backs  :  so  Mess.  Harmer  and  Parkharst, 
Another  critic  says — '  like  royal  purple  tied,  or  hung  in 
'  drapery  in  the  galleries.'  Neither  of  these  latter  version-., 
however,  can  be  reconciled  to  the  Jewish  pun6\uation>  nor 
the  Septuagint.  The  late  editor  of  CalmetX.^\i.Q.^  Aragamen 
(p3lX)  for  a  proper  name,  like  Carmel,  and  thinking  it  al- 
ludes to  a  particular  manner  of  plaiting  the  hair,  like  the 
weaving  of  Arech,  a  city  in  Bubylonia,  supposed  to  be  fa- 
mous for  its  weaving  manufaiS^ories.  This  however  is  all 
conjeQure,  and  the  interpretation  of  Alichaelis  and  Bp. 
Percy  is  so  much  more  elegant  and  simple,  that  I  cannot 
help  giving  it  in  every  respe(irt  the  preference.  '  The  tress- 
es of  thine  head  like  the  '■porpura,'  (or  murexj  z.  spiral  shell 
fish,  whence  was  extratled  the  famous  purple  dye  of  Tyre  : 
meaning  that  the  ti'esses  were  tied  up  in  a  spiral  or  pyra- 
midal form  en  the  top,  or  at  the  back  of  the  head,  andpru- 


(     328     ) 

The  king'  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  wait^ 
ing  in  the  galleries,  or  antichamber ',  is  now  in- 
troduced ;  and  like  a  bridegroom  rejoicing  over 
his  bride,  extols  her  charms  as  in  the  highest  de- 
gree captivating  and  enchanting.  He  compares 
her  to  the  palm  tree  for  stature,  to  the  vine  for 
sweetness*  ;  and  to  the  citron  for  the  odour  of  her 
breath^.  The  last  verse,  if  not  correctly  transla- 
ted, is  at  least  good  sense  ;  and  its  extreme  diffi- 
culty will  apologize  for  the  resf*. 


bably  the  basis  of  the  nuptial  crown.  Something  like  this 
we  see  in  the  Chinese,  and  other  eastern  dresses  ;  the  Hin- 
doo women  wear  their  hair  commonly  rolled  up  into  a  knot 
or  bunch  at  the  back  of  the  head  ;  not  to  say  that  our  own 
ladies  sometimes  roll  up  their  tresses  in  a  manner  notvery 
dissimilar. 

1  Galleries-— on  the  meaning  of  this  word  we  have  remark- 
ed above,  p.  201.  The  king  was  detained  there  by  the 
laws  of  decorum  and  propriety,  till  the  virgins  had  proper- 
ly adorned  the  bride  to  receive  him. 

2  Stature  like  the  palm  tree.  Tallness  is  an  eastern  beau- 
ty :  so  Hafez  speaks  of  damsels  tall  as  cypresses.  The 
palm  tree  has  this  peculiarity,  that  its  branches  are  all  at 
a  considerable  height,  hence  it  must  be  climbed  in. order  to 
reach  them  :  dates  are  the  clusters  of  the  palm,  which,  in 
ver.  8,  are  changed  for  grapes,  to  improve  the  compli- 
ment :  and  this  reminds  me  of  an  eastern  poet,  who  com- 
pares the  breasts  of  his  love,  '  ample  and  ripe,'  to  ,the  sw-eet 
fruit  of  the  ta-a  tree.     -Gotagovinda,  p.  476. 

3  Literally,  the  odour  of  thy  nose  or  as  som^e  copies  read, 
.nostrils J  which  no  doUbt  intends  the  breath. 

■*  This  last  clause  has  puzzled  all  the  commentators,  and 
cannot,  perhaps,  be  rendered  v/ith  certainty.  The  trans- 
lations are  too  various  to  be  transcribed,  and  the  conjec- 
tures of  critics  too  bold  to  be  adopted.  There  are  also  some 
various  readings  in  the  MSS.  which  only  rendered  the  text 
more  doubtful.  After  wearying  myself  in  examining  them, 
1  have  adopted  what  appears  to  me  the  best  sense,  as  well 


{     S29     ) 

As  I  wish  to  avoid  ??ji?iutic^  in  the  application 
bf  the  allegory,  and  as  much  as  possible  repe- 
tition in  my  remarks,  the  improvement  of  this 
section  will  be  short,  and  confined  to  few  par- 
ticulars. The  two  first  articles  naturally  re- 
mind us  of  the  apostolic  admonition  to  put  on 
the  girdle  of  truth,  and  to  have  our  feet  sbod 
with    '  the   preparation    of  the   gospel   of  peace.' 

*  How    beautiful    upon    the    mountains   are    the 

*  feet  of  them  that  bring  glad  tidings' — the 
tidings  of  our  salvation  !  Gospel  truths  bind  the 
church  together  like  a  girdle,  and  the  do6lrine  of 
atonement  is  that  central  point  in  which  they 
all  unite.  Every  do6trine  of  the  scriptures  is 
precious,  but  this  '  cup  of  mingled  wine'  is  the 
ruby  in  its  centre.  The  church  is  fruit/u/ like 
the  corn,  and  all  her  children  receive  their  first 
nourishment  from  this  source  — they  all  '  drink  of 

*  this  cup.' — Her  clothing  is  like  the  lily — she  is 
arrayed  in  'fine  linen,  pure  and  white,    Avhich  is 

*  the  righteousness  of  the  saints.'  Her  bosom  is 
the  seat  of  love  and  innocence — Her  walk  ered — 
and  her  ornaments  the  graces  of  the  Spirit. — If 
the  stru6lure  of  her  nose  mark  the  strength  of  her 


as  the  most  faithful  version  of  the  text  as  it  now  stands, 
■which  runs  more  literally  thus:  '  Thy  palate  is  astliebest 
*wine,'  CD^-i^yTib  nilb -|b"iri,  goin^  to  those  beloved  for  up^ 
'  rightnesses  ;  i.  e.  the  vi^ine  which  I  send  to  those  whom 
'  I  particularly  esteem  for  their  virtues  and  integrity.'  See 
chap.  i.  4.  The  last  line  evidently  refers  to  the  intoxicating 
quality  of  generous  wine,  which  causeth  those  who  drink 
freely  to  mutter,  or  murmur,  in  their  sleep. 


T  t 


(     330  ■   ) 

mind,  the  clearness  of  her  discernment  may  be 
expressed  by  comparing  her  eyes  to  the  pools  in 
Heshbon.  Her  head  is  crowned  with  the  nuptial 
garland,  and  her  tresses  are  disposed  with  the 
utmost  care ;  so  that,  upon  the  w  hole,  in  New 
Testament  langiKige,  she  is  'prepared  as  a  bride 
*  adorned  for  her  husband' — and  then  introduced 
to  him,  who  vras  waiting  for  her  in  '  the  galleries 
'  of  his  grace,'  On  this  I  would  offer  only  two  or 
three  remarks. 

1.  That  all  the  beauty  and  ornaments  of  the 
church  are  to  prepare  her  for  her  Lord.  The 
graces  of  the  Spirit  are  not  bestowed  for  our 
admiration,  but  for  his  delight.  We  are  not  to 
seek  our  happiness  in  self- enjoyment  but  in  his 
presence.  It  should  not  be  the  supreme  obje6l 
with  us,  to  be  happy  and  comfortable  in  our- 
selves, but  to  be  useful  and  acceptable  in  his 
sight. 

2.  The  Lord  '  waiteth  to  be  gracious'— rhe 
waiteth  to  receive  his  people.  When  they  are 
prepared  he  is  always  ready.     '  Behold!  I  stand 

*  at  the  door  and  knock.' 

3.  A  third  remark  will  lead  to  the  follow- 
ing part  of  the  se6lion — it  respe6ls  the  different 
style  in  which  the  bride  is  commended  by  the 
virgins,  and  by  her  Lord: — they  speak  with 
admiration^    he    v^dth    rapture.     '  He    that  .hath 

*  the    bride    is    the  bridegroom :   but  the    friend 
'  of  the    bridegroom,   which    standeth  and  hcar- 

*  eth    him,    rejoiceth    greatly    because    of    the 


(     331     ) 

*  bridesrroom's  voice'.'  This  joy  is  also  ful- 
filled  in  the  virgins,  the  companions  of  the  bride ; 
but  how  far  greater  is  the  bridegroom's  joy  !  yet 

*  as  the   bridegroom  rejoiccth   ovfr  the  bride,   so 

*  shall  thy  God,  O  Zion !  rejoice  over  thee\' 

4.  The  delight  v.hich  the  Lord  takes  in  his 
people  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  graces. — 
'  How  pleasing  art  thou,  O  love  !  for  delights  1' 
Partly  through  the  cold  taste  of  European  com- 
position, and  partly  through  our  depraved  na- 
ture, which  carnalizes  every  thing,  these  expres- 
sions may  seem  extravagant,  and  even  licentious  ; 
,  but  strip  off  the  figurative  dress,  and  you  have 
such  solid  truths  as  these  :  that  God  himself,  be- 
ing supreme  excellence,  must  love  himself  su- 
premely ;  and  his  creatures  as  they  resemble  him  : 
that  as  the  supreme  beauty  is  moral  e:xcellence, 
so  God's  supreme  delight  is  in  holiness  arid  puri- 
ty :  a  sinner  therefore  can  only  be  with  him  an 
obje6l  of  complacency,  as  viewed  in  the  Saviour : 
and  the  more  of  the  image  of  Christ  and  the  gra- 
ces of  his  Spirit  appear  on  his  people,  the  more 
amiable  are  they  in  his  sight. 

Again,  as  our  happiness  depends  only  on  con- 
formity to  the  Most  High,  and  communion  with 
him,  if  he  love  us,  he  will  display  that  love  by 
assimilating  us  to  himself,  and  drawing  us  into 
communion  with  him  :   '  For  whom  he  did  fore- 

*  know,  them  he  also  did  predestinate  to  be  con- 

*  formed  to  the  image  of  his  Son.' 

»  John  iii.  29.  2   j^^.  Ixii.  5, 


(     332     ) 

5.  The  last  verse,  -which  contains  the  reply  of 
the  spouse,  is  partly  a  repetition,  and  so  far  has 
been  considered  aheady.  The  concluding  phrase 
expresses  either  her  subjc6Hon  to  her  husband, 
as  the  Hebrew  commentators  say,  or  rather  his 
affections  to  her,  as  it  is  said  in  the  45th  psalm 
— ^  So  shall  the  king  greatly  desire  thy  beauty.* 


SECTION  XIL 


Ver.  11  —  13. 

Spouse,    Come,  fny  beloved,  let  us  go  forth  into  the  fields 
Let  us  lodge  in  the  Villages. 
We  shall  be  ready  for  the  vineyards, 
We  shall  see  whether  the  vine  flourish, 
[Whether]  the  tender  bud  open, 
[Or]  the  pomegranate  blossom. 
There  will  I  grant  thee  my  afl'eClions. 
The  mandrakes  yield  their  odour, 
And  over  our  gates  are  all  precious  fruits, 
Both  new  and  old, 
[Which]  my  beloved,   I  have  reserved  for  thee. 


In  the  former  parts  of  this  song  the  queea 
discovers  a  decided  partiality  for  rural  scenery, 
and  a  country  life  ;  and  these  verses  contain  a 
proposal  to  spend  the  following  night  at  some 
villa^  a  little  distance  from  the  metropolis,  where 
she  had  provided  an  entertainment  for  her  lord, 
consisting  of  things  new  and  old  ;  that  is,  not 
only  of  the  earliest  productions  of  the  season, 
but  the  most  curious  presevces^  which  probably 
had  been  brought  from  Egypt,  and  kept  for  this 


(     333     ) 

occasion.  As  to  the  mandrakes,  it  is  indeed 
doubted  what  particular  fruit  they  may  intend  ; 
but  most  probably,  from  the  contest  of  Leah  and 
Rachel  about  them,  something  very  rare,  and 
supposed  to  excite  love  ^ . 

Applying;  these  words  to  the  spiritual  bride  we 
may  remark,  1.  That  the  love  of  retirement  is 
often  the  character  of  a  pious  mind — of  a  mind 
devoted  to  meditation  an:l  prayer,  and  to  converse 
with  the  Creator  in  his  works.  On  the  other 
hand,  when  the  mind  is  strongly  attached  to  the 
parade  and  bustle  of  populous  cities,  it  indicates 
a  love  to  vanity,  and  a  disinclination  to  commune 
either  with  our  own  hearts,  or  with  our  God. 

2.  The  getting  up  early  to  observe  the  pro- 
gress of  nature,  shews  a  diligence  highly  orna- 
mental to  the  Christian  chara(SI;er,  and  a  taste 
honourable  to  its  possessor.  Men  of  elegant  taste 
and  elevated  minds  prefer  these  objects  ;  and  it 
is  certainly  the  mark  of  a  groveling  mind  and  a 
mean  understanding,  either  to  take  delight  only 
in  getting  money,  or  in  spending  it  in  the  vain 
and  wicked  amusements  of  a  city.     Happy  is  the 


■•  DuDAiM,  mandrakes :  So  the  LXX.  (who  translate 
CDWrn,  Mxv^^scyo^ni)  Onkelos,  and  iiiost  critics  and  com- 
jnentators.  Hasselguist  (V^oyac^es,  p.  160)  found  a  great 
number  of  these  plants  near  Galilee,  which  were  ripe  in 
l\Iay,  and,  with  other  travellers  and  naturalists,  describes 
it  as  of  a  strong  nauseous  smell,  and  not  good  to  cat ;  but 
then  as  a  Samaritan  priest  told  Mandrell,  they  were  suppo- 
sed to  help  conception  by  being  laid  under  the  bed.  How 
ever,  the  editor  of  Cahnet  is  confident  that  the  dudaim  were 
inelons. 


(     534     ) 

:>Tian  whose  duty  and  circumstances  permit  him 
at  least  occasionally,  to  go  forth  into  the  field  and 
to  lodge  in  the  villages  ;  and  not  merely  to  lodge 
there  ;  but  who  rises  early  to  enjoy  the  sweets  of 
morn  ;  and  not  to  enjoy  them  only  but  to  im- 
prove them  by  meditation  and  reflection,  without 
which,  indeed,  he  can  hardly  be  said  to  enjoy 
them. 

3.  A  Christian  father,  Thcodoret^  derives  hence 
a  very  useful  hint  on  the  duty  of  ministers  to  pro- 
pagate the  gospel,  among  the  heathen,  and  to 
w  atch  its  effeiSls  where  it  has  been  already  propa- 
gated.    '  Let  us  (says  he)  take  care  of  the  mean- 

*  est  and  most  abje6l  souls,  who  have  lain' long 
'  negle6led,  which  are  tropically  called  fields  and 
'  villages.'     And  again   it  behoves  us  to  use  all 

*  suitable  diligence  in  visiting  those  who  have  al- 

*  ready    received  the   w^ord,  \vhether  they   bring 

*  forth  more  than  leaves  ;  and  especially  whether 

*  any  beginnings  (buds J  of  charity  (or  love)  ap- 

*  pear  among  them  ^ . 

4.  The  expression,   '  There   will  I   grant  thee 

*  my  afre6tions,  may  imply  that  prayer  and  medi- 
tation, accompanied  with  a  diligent  attention  to 
our  respeftive  duties,  are  the  ways  in  which  we 
shall  best  discover  our  attachment  to  our  divine 
beloved. 

?   Set  Patrick  in  loc. 


.m\ 


(     535     ) 


Chap.  VIII.  1—4. 

Spouse.     O  that  tliou  wert  as  my  brother, 

That  Slicked  the  breasts  of  my  mother  ! 

Should  I  find  thee  in  the  street, 

I  would  kiss  tliee,  and  not  be  despised. 

I  would  carry  thee,  I  would  bring- thee 

Into  the  house  of  my  mother,  who  would  instruct 

me ; 
I  would  cause  thee  to  drink  of  spiced  wine, 
Of  the  new  wine  of  my  pomegranates. 

[To  the  Virgins.'] 

His  left  hand  is  under  my  head, 
And  his  right  hand  embraceth  me. 
I  adjure  ye,  O  daughters  of  Jerusalem — 
Why  should  ye  disturb,  or  why  awake 
The  lovely  one,  until  it  please  [him  ?] 

This  passage  I  consider  as  the  continuation  of 
the  preceding  conversation.  The  spouse  had  in- 
vited the  beloved  to  partake  an  entertainment  she 
had  provided  for  him  in  an  adjacent  village,  where 
she  promises  to  give  every  proof  of  her  affcclion. 
But  here  the  modesty  of  her  sex  seems  to  check 
the  expression  of  her  attachment,  and  she  sug- 
gests a  wish  that  her  relation  to  him  were  rather 
that  of  an  infant  brother  than  a  husband  ;  that  she 
might  be  at  liberty  to  express  her  affe6lion  in  the 
strongest  and  most  public  manner,  vvithout  incur- 
ring the  charge  of  forwardness,    or  indecorum  ^ 

She  then  anticipates  such  a  scene,  and  sup- 
poses herself  in  his  embraces,  as  in  a  former  sec- 

^  '  I  would  kiss  thee,  and  not  be  despised.'  Literallv, 
'  and  they  [/.  c.  spcaators]  would  not  despise  me  ;'  but  for 
me  {^)  five  MSS.  and  two  editions  read  n'')  ^hee,  and  two 
other  MSS.  Ob)  him. 


(     536     ) 

tion ;  on  which  I  woiilcl  only  remark  here,  tfii! 
wish  that  her  relation  to  Solomon  were  of  the  na- 
ture I  have  stated,  farther  precludes  the  possibi- 
lity of  yny  indelicacy  in  the  ideas  of  the  writer, 
in  the  chorus,  which  is  here  repeated  to  conclude 
the  section ' . 

One  expression  in  this  short  paragraph  is  in- 
deed doubtful  from  an  ambip;uity  of  the  original, 
which  instead  of  '  v. ho  would  instruct  me'  mi<rht 
be  rendered,  '  thou  shouldst  instruct  me^  ;'  and 
I  confess  I  have  some  hesitation  which  to  prefer, 
as  the  authorities  are  pretty  equally  divided. 


^  There  is  a  material  diu'erence,  however,  intheexores- 
Sion.  Instead  of  [Crxl  '  '/ye  awake,'  S<c.  as  in  chap.  ii.  7. 
iii.  5.  it  is  here  put  interrogatively — '  Whv  should  ye  dis^ 
*  turb  ? — Why  should  you  awake  ?'  Sec.  Five  MSS.  indeed 
&dd,  '  by  the  antelopes,  and  by  the  hinds  of  the  field;* 
■^'hich  Avords  are  also  read  in  the  Arabic  and  Alexandrian 
copy  of  the  LXX  ;  but  the  Vatican  LXX.  adds  only,  '  by 
'  the  hindf!  of  the  field,'  which  makes  it  probable  these 
words  are  borrowed  from  the  former  passages.  About  one 
hundred  MSS.  prefix  a  vau  to  the  word  head^  but  I  think 
very  unaccountably. 

2  The  verb  ("iJDibn)  beins^  here  the  future  in  pihc!  (as  the 
Jev/ish  grammaria.ns  call  it)  may  either  be  the  third  person 
feminine,  '■she  Avould  teach,  or  as  the  second  masculine, 
tJiou  '  shouldst  teach  ;'  but  Dr.  Hodgson  and  the  editor  of 
Colmet  render  Talmudni  as  the  proper  name  of  the  queen's 
mother,  though  I  conceive  without  sufiicient  reason. 

The  LXX.  here  introduce  a  clause  from  chap.  iii.  4,  and 
IsPiV.Crei'n^  -vvho  transposes  the  second  verb,  reads  the  pas- 
sage thus, 

<  I  would  lead  thee  into  the  house  of  my  mother, 
*  I  would  bring  thee  into  the  apartment  of  her  that   con- 
ceived me, 
'  That  thou  mightest  be  my  guide.' 

hut  I  confess  I  am  Jealous  of  mere  co/j/ecfHrff/ emendations. 


.(     337     ) 

If  the  teaching  here  mentioned  be  referred  to 
the  mother,  the  question  occurs,  '  In  what  would 
*  she  instruft  her  daughter?'  and  the  answer  is^ 
'  In  the  duties  of  her  new  relation;'  but  if  the 
verb  be  taken  in  the  second  person,  as  I  am  much 
inclined  to  admit,  the  expresson  must  be  under- 
stood more  generally,  '  thou  shouldst  instruct 
me,'   i.  e.   be  my  preceptor. 

The  spiced  wine  is  thought  to  allude  to  a  cus- 
tom of  the  parties  drinking  wine  from  the  same 
cup  in  one  part  of  the  marriage  ceremony,  and 
we  know^  that  spiced  wine  was  a  great  delicacy  in 
the  east'. 

In  the  allegorical  application  of  these  verses  we 
may  observe, 

■  1.  That  believers  wish  to  «njoy  the  most  inj. 
timate  relation  to,  and  communion  with  their 
Lord. 


1  Spiced  wines  were  hot  peculiar  to  the   Jews.    '  Hajiz 

*  speaks   of  wine  "  richly  bitter,  richly  sweet."     The  Ro- 
*.  mans  lined  their  vessels   (am;  hone  J  with  odorous  gums, 

*  to  give  the  wine  a  warm  bitter  flavour,   and  it  is  said  the 

*  Poles  and  Spaniards  have  a  similar  method  to  give  their 

,  wines   a  favoi~irite    relish'.     Nott's  Odes  of  Hafiz,   note.  • 
p.  30. 

The  word  (D"'Dy'*,  rendered  by  our  translators  juice^  is 
properly  '  new  wine,'  or  must :  and  the  new  wine  of  pome- 
granates is,  '  either  new  wine  acidulated  with  the  juice  of 
'  pomegrahates,  which  the  Turks  about  Aleppo  still  mijt 
'  with  their  dishes  for  this  purpose  ;  or  rather  wine  made 
'  of  the  juice  of  pomegranates,  of  whch  Sir  J.  Chardin 
'  says  they  still  make  considerable  quantities  in  the  east.* 
See  Harmer'i;  Observations,  vol.  I.  p.  377,  8. 
[  For>3m  manyMSS.  read  a''37D'i  or  0''3TO1.] 

Uu 


(     533     ) 

*  O  conld  T  call  thee  bv  a  hrottur'    name, 
'  that  ttiulcr  title  would  indulge  my  bliss  1' 

Happily  we  may  do  this :  since  our  gracious 
Redeemer  hath  partaken  of  our  flesh  and  of  our 
blood,  *  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call  us  brethren,' 
^vhile  he  fulfils  all  the  tenderness  and  affeclion 
implied  in  the  chara6\er  of  a  brother. 

2.  It  becomes  the  disciples  of  Jesus  to  a\ovr 
their  attachment  to  him  in  the  most  decided  and 
public  manner.  They  may  kiss  him  and  not  be 
ashamed  ;  because,  (1.)  There  is  no  treachery  in 
the  kiss  :  they  do  not  say,  as  Judas  did,  '  Hail 
Master!'  and  betray  him. — (2.)  There  is  no  un- 
seemliness in  the  freedom — it  is  an  '  holy  kiss,* 
and  becomes  a  saint.  The  attachment  of  a  be- 
liever to  his  Lord  must  be  (like  the  weapons  of 
his  warfare)  not  carnal,  but  spiritual :  not  tempo- 
ral, but  divine, 

3.  That  reverend  familiarity  which  accompa- 
nies true  piety  is  not  only  distin^l  but  distant 
from  the  pertness  and  presumption   of  hypocrites 

and  enthusiasts  ;  and  therefore  not  to  '  be  despi. 
'  sed.' 

4.  When  the  church  is  instru6led,  the  Lord  is 
entertained  :  his  delight  is  in  them  that  fear  him  i 
and  when  they  frequent  his  house  for  instruction, 
and  meet  him  at  his  table,  it  is  to  him,  as  well  as 
them,  '  a  feast  of  fat  things — of  wine  on  the  lees 
'  veil  refined.' — '  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and 

*  knock  !    If  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open 

*  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  su^ 
'  'ivit/j  Jbim,  and  he  ivit/?  me  J' 


(     339     ) 

S.  It  should  be  our  concern,  when  we  go  to 
the  Lord's  house,  not  only  that  we  meet  him  there, 
but  that  his  *  presence  go  up  with  us.' 

*  I  lirins^  him  to  my  mother's  home  : 
<  Noi'  does  my  Lord  refuse  to  come 

*  I'o  Sion's  sacred  chambers,    where 

*  My  soul  first  drew  the  vital  air. 

'  He  gives  me  there  his  bleeding  heart, 

*  Pierc'd  for  my  sake  with  deadly  smart; 

*  I  give  my  soul  to  him,  and  there 

*  Our  loves  their  mutual  token  share.' 

WATTS. 

Lastly,  I  would  conclude  these  hints  by  a  quo- 
tation  from  the  T ARC UM  on  this  passage,  which 
is  express  to  our  purpose,  and  too  remarkable  to 
be    o.iiitted :  *  When   the   King  Messiah   shall 

*  be    revealed    unto  the   congregation    of  Israel, 

*  the  children  of  Israel  shall  say  unto  him  *'  Be 
"  thou  with  us  for  a  brother,  and  let  us  go  up  to 
"  Jerusalem,  and  let  us  suck  with  thee  the  senses 
**  of  the  law,  as  a  sucking  child  sucketh  the 
*'  breasts  of  its  mother,"  &c. — And  on  verse  2, 
the    same  paraphrase   adds,   '  I  will  lead  thee,  O 

*  King  Messiah,  and  bring  thee    to   the  house    of 

*  my    san6luary ;  and    thou    shalt    teach   me   to 

*  fear  the  Lord,  and  to  walk  in  his  paths,  and  there 
^*  will  we  keep  the  feast  of  Leviathan,  and  drink 
old  wine,'  Sec.  Though  some  expressions  here 
allude  to  the  dreams  of  the  rabbins,  as  to  the 
carnal  enjoyments  of  Messiah's  kingdom,  they 
are  sufficient  to  shew  that  their  fathers  hid  been 
accustomed  as  before  remarked,  to  refer  this  book 
to  the  Messiah,  without  scruple  or  hesitation. 


(     340     ) 
SECTION  XIII. 

Chap.  VIII.  Ver.  5—7. 

firgins.     Who  is  this  that  came  up   from   the  wilderness, 
L,eaning-  upon  her  beloved  ? 

Bridegroom. 

Under  the  citron  tree  I  courted  thee  ; 
There  thy  mother  plighted  thee  unto  me, 
[Even]    there    she   that  bear  thee  plighted  thee, 
unto  me. 

Spouse.         Place  me  as   a   signet  u>pon  thine  heart. 
As  a  signet  upon  thine  arm  ; 
For  love  is  strong   as  death  ; 
Jealousy  is  cruel  as  the  grave  ; 
The  darts  thereof  are  darts  of  fire. 
Which  have  the  fiery  flame  of  Jah. 

Bridegroom. 

Many  waters  cannot  quench  love  ; 

Neither  can  the  floods  drown  it. 

If  a  man  would  give    all    the    substance    of   his 

house  for  love, 
It  would  utterly  be  coiitenined. 

THIS  Section  begins  with  a  question  from  the 
virgins,  alluding,  i  conceive,  to  the  spouse's 
coming  up  from  Egypt,  which  lay  beyond  the  wil- 
derness ;  here  Solomon  probably  met  her,  and  they 
might  enter  Jerusalem  together  in  the  royal  palan- 
quin, (see  ch.  iii.  6.)  when  she  would  naturally  lean 
toward,  or  upon,  her  beloved'     I  conceive  also, 

1  The  word  (npjp^.HTDWfun//;^- occurs  only  in  this  place, 
and  is  very  diflercritly  transluted.  Many  of  the  rabbins  ren- 
dered it  associating,  joining,  cleaving,  from  the  use  of  a 
kindred  word  in  Arabic  :  so  the  editor  of  Calmet,  '  in  so- 
*■  ci ability  v/xXh  her  beloved.'  2.  Others  '  re/'//c/nj' with  her 
'  beloved,'  to  which  incline  the  Vulgate  and  the  Targum. 
3.  i'he  LX'X  read  ^tw/a-rvjpj^o^EyM)  '  strenglJiening'  (/.  e.  sup- 
porting; herself  on  her  beloved.  4.  Our  version  and  many 
others  read  leaning  on  her  beloved,  which  appears  to  be  the 
5tnse   of  the  word    in   Ethiopic.  [See  Gill  in  loc]  I  qotk^ 


(     541     ) 

with  Mr.  Harmer  and  others,  that  the  answer  of 
the   bridegroom'    refers  to  the  scene  in  ch.  ii.  3. 

*  I  sat  under  his  shadow  (comparing  the  beloved 

*  to  a  citron  tree)  with  great  delight,  and  his 
'  fruit  was  sweet  unto  my  taste.'  Here  we  may 
suppose  her  mother  to  have  been  present,  and 
some  ceremony  to  have  taken  place,  which  is 
here  alluded  to. 

The  following  lines  appear  to  me  to  contain 
the  reply  of  the  spouse*  desiring  a  constant  me- 
morial on  his  arm^,  and  in  his  heart ;  but  for  the 
sake  of  keeping  up  the  conversation,  I  ha.ve  re- 
fuTed  the  seventh  verse  to  the  bridegroom. 

The  comparison  of  the  fire  of  jealousy  to  the 
flame  of  God  is  commonly  referred  to  lightning  ; 
but  I  conceive  alludes  more  diredlly  to  the  sacri- 
ficial flame  2,  which  was  inextinguishable,  while 
the  divine  presence  continued  in  the  temple. 

fess  I  consider  this  (as  many  other  verbs  of  three  radicals) 
as  a  compound  verb  from  il  to  lean,  bend,  and  p3  to  stag- 
ger;  ;.  €.  to  lean  for  support,  like  one  who  staggers. 

»  '  Under  the  citron  tree.'  All  the  Greek  fathers,  and 
many  of  the  Latin,  attribute  these/  words  to  the  bride- 
groom, to  whom  they  seem  most  naturally  to  belong  ; 
but  the  Jews  having  pointed  thee  masculine,  persist  in  at-, 
tributing  them  to  the  spouse.  The  verbs  in  this  verse 
liave  been  much  controverted  ;  the  sense  1  have  given  ap- 
pears to  me  natural  and  just  ;  but  for  the  sense  of  the 
several  roots  I  must  refer  to  the  lexicons  ;  particularly 
Parhhurst  in  bin.  Nearly  one  bundled  and  twenty  MSS. 
and  some  editions  prefix  a  van  emphatic  to  tlie  last  line 
of  the  5th  verse — '  Even  there  '  Sec. 

2  Here  I  conceive  the  masculine  point  affixed  by  the 
Masoreths  to  the  pronoun  thine  is  right, 

3  '  The  fiery  flame  of  Jah.'  More  than  200  MSS.  and 
many  editions,  read  this  in  two  separate  words  [n^  ninbu;] 
as  1  have  rendered  them  }  and  as   the  sacrificial  fire  never 


(     342     ) 

On  this  seflion  we  may  note, 

%  1.  That  in  the  present  state  the  church  is  com- 
ing up  out  of  the  wilderness. — It  is  common 
\A  ith  the  inspired  and  other  writers  to  represent 
the  present  life  as  a  wilderness  or  desert,  i.  e, 
a  state  of  distress  and  trial,  and  our  passage 
through  life  as  a  journey  through,  or  a  coming 
up  out  of  this  wilderness  ;  in  allusion  to  the  pas- 
sage of  the  Israelites  through  the  wilderness  to 
the  promised  land.  But  here  it  is  said  she  came 
up  '  leaning  on  her  beloved' — which  very  pro- 
perly represents  the  affiance  and  dependance  we 
should  place  on  the  divine  providence  and  giace 
all  through  our  mortal  pilgrimage. 

2.  The  Lord  excites,  as  well  as  rewards,  the 
affc6\ions  of  his  people  :  indeed  he  answers  and 
rewards  no  affedlions  but  those  which  he  excites: 
■  Under  the  citron  tree  I  courted  thee.' 


'  Look  gently  down,   Almighty  grace; 
'  Prison  me  round  in  thine  embrace  ; 
'  Pity  the  soul  that  would  be  thine, 
^  And  Itit  thy  power  my  love  confine.' 


WATTS, 


was  to  go  out,  (see  Levit.  vi.  12.)  so  the  Jews  have  a  tra^- 
dition,  which  appears  well  founded,  that  no  rains  ever 
could  extinguish  it.  Some  of  the  ideas  in  the  Song  of 
Ibraham,  repeatedly  quoted  above,  are  remarkably  similar 
Jo  those  in  Solomon. 

4  I  die — I  go  down  to  the  grave ;    . 
f  My  heart  is  hot  as  sulphur,' 


{     343     ) 

5.  The  church  considered  as  the  mother  of 
believers  (for  '  Jerusalem  which  is  above  is  the 

*  mother  of  us  all')  has  solemnly  pledged  her 
children  unto  Christ,  and  dedicated  them  to  his 
service.  This  idea  is  particularly  applicable  to 
the  peculiar  ordinances  of  the  gospel,  baptism  and 
the  Lord's  supper,  in  both  which  we  are  solemnly 
dedicated  to  his  service  :  but  should  not  be  con- 
fined to  them  ;  for  in  every  circumstance  or  situa- 
tion, and  by  every  possible  tie,  we  are  the  Lord's 
and  in  no  respecl  our  own. 

4.  The  lore  between  Christ  and  his  people 
is  vi6\orious  and  irresistible  as  death ;  and  jea- 
lousy on  the  part  of  the  believer  is  severe  and 
cruel  as  the  grave.  Its  darts  or  arrows  (allud- 
ing to  the  *  fiery  arrows'  of  the  antients)  are 
darts  of  fire  which  have  a  most  vehement  and  in- 
extinguishable flame.  The  love  of  Christ  infixed 
in  the  heart,  enkindles  and  burns  there  till  it  con- 
sumes the  lusts,  and  purifies  the  passions  of  the 
human  heart.  Maximus  Tyrius  says  of  a  mor- 
tal love,  '  Wild  beasts  are  not  terrible  to  it,  nor 

*  fire,  nor  precipices,  nor  the  sword,  nor  the  hal- 
'  ter,'  &c.  But  Paul  speaks  much  more  sub^ 
limely  of  divine  love  :  '  Who  shall  separate  us 
^  from  the  love  of  Christ*  ?  shall  tribulation,  or 

*  distress,    or  persecution,  or  famine,  or  naked - 

*  ness,    or  peril,  or   sword  ?    Nay,  in    all   these 

*  things  we  are  more  than  conquerors  through  him 

*  that  loved  us.     For  I  am  persuaded  that  neither 

•  Rora.  viii.  35 — 39. 


(     544     )  -       ■ 

*  death,  nor  life,  nor   angels,  nor  principalitieg," 

*  nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to 
'  come,    nor    height,    nor  depth,    nor  any   other 

*  creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the 

*  love  of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus.' 

5.  This  love  is  unmerited  and  inextinguish' 
able — It  is   unmerited :   '  If  a  man  would  a:ive  all 

*  the  substance  of  his  house  for  love,  it  would 
'  utterly  be  contemned.' — It  is  inextinguishable : 
'  Many  waters  cannot  quench  love,  neither   can 

*  the  floods  drown  it.'  So  Philo stratus, 
speaking  of  love,  says,   '  What  nev/  kind  of  con- 

*  flagration  is  this  I  I  am  ready  to  call  for  water, 

*  but  there  is  none  to  bring  it ;  for  a  quencher, 
'  but  a  quencher  for  this  fire  cannot  be  found'.     If 

*  one  bring  it  from  the  fountain,  or  take  it  out  of 
'■  the  river,  it  is  all  the  same  ;  the  water  itself  is 
'  burnt  up  by  love.' 

6.  It  is  the  first  and  supreme  desire  of  the 
believer  to  be  remembered  by  the  Lord — to  en- 
joy the  aflcftions  of  his  heart,  and  the  protection 
of  his  hand;  and  the  Lord  has  graciously  assured 
his  church,  '  I  have  engraven  thee  on  the  palms 
'  of  my  hands  :  thy  walls  [the  walls  of  Jerusalem] 
'  are  continually  before  me.' 


(     345     ) 
SECTION  XIV,  \_Ei^cn\ng.'\ 

Chap.  VIII.  \'cr.   8—10. 

Spouse.         We  have  a  sister  who  is  lil'Ie,  and  her  breasts 
aie  not  [grown  ;] 
What  shall  Ave  do  for  our  sister  in  the  day  that 
she  is  spoken  for  ? 

Bridegroom.  If  she  be  a  wall,  we  will  build  on  her  turrets  of 
silver  ; 
If  she  be  a  doer,  we  will  enclose  heV  with  boards 
of  cedar. 

Spouse.  I  am  a  wall,  and  my  breasts  are  like  towers  : 

Thence  was  I  in  his  eyes   as  one   that   findeth 
peace. 

THE  first  verse  of  this  paragraph  Mr.  Harmer 
considers  as  the  language  of  Solomon's  former 
Jewish  wife,  provoked  to  Jealousy  b}^  his  marri- 
age with  Pharaoh's  daughter,  whom  she  repre- 
sents as  little,  and  too  young  for  her  station  :  but 
this  is  highly  inconsistent  witlli  what  is  said  of  her 
stature,  portliness,  and  corpulency,  which  are 
repeatedly  commended  in  the  course  of  the  poem. 
I  therefore  conceive  the  allusion  to  be  literally  to 
a  younger  sister  of  the  queen,  for  whom  she  wish- 
es  Solomon  to  make  some  provision,  perhaps  by 
recommending  her  in  due  time  to  one  of  the  neigh- 
bouring princes,  his  allies  or  tributaries  :  and  this 
is  v/hat  I  suppose  him  to  promise  in  his  reply. 
*  Ifshebea  wall,'  if  she  be  adapted  to  rear  and 
support  a  family,  VvC  will  provide  for  her  in  marri- 
age, diat  she  may  bear  an  offspring  like  turrets  of 
silver;  it  being  usual  to  ere6l  a  number  of  turrets 
or  little  towers  upon  the  walls  of  cities,  for  the 
various  purposes    of  ornament,   observation  and 

X  X 


(     346     ) 

defence.  So  the  Psalmist,  '  Walk  about  ZioH, 
and  go  round  about  her  ;  tell  the  towers  thereof. 
'  Mark  ye  well  her  bulwarks,  and  consider  her 
'  palaces.' — Or  perhaps  here  a  promise  may  be 
intimated  of  a  handsome  dowry,  which,  to  be 
paid  in  silver,  a\  ould  form  a  mass  like  a  tower  or 
palace ' . 

If  she  be  a  door,'  that  is,  if  she  be  capable  of 
bearing  children,  she  shall  be  honoured  like  the 
door  of  a  palace  ;  she  shall  bring  forth  a  royal 
offspring,  and  thus  shall  she  be  provided  for  in  a 
manner  suitable  to  her  rank  and  circumstances  : 
her  virtue  shall  be  honoured  and  respected. 

Christian  interpreters  have  unanimously  applied 
the  chara^ler  of  this  little  sister  to  the  Gentile 
church,  which  may  be  called  the  sister  of  the 
Jewish,  with  at  least  as  much  propriety,  as  Sodom 
and  Samaria  are  called  sisters  of  Jerusalem*. 
And  she  was  a  younger  sister,  because  at  this 
time,  and  even  for  several  ages  afterward,  she 
Avas  not  arrived  to  maturity  ;  though  under  the 
the  gospel  they  become  ''  fellow  heirs,"  and  are 
united  in  the  same  privileges.  Nor  is  it  of  any 
weight  that  the  Gentiles  were  not  at  this  time  a 
church,   since  He  v/ho   '  seetli  the  end  from  the 


■•  Mr  Hannei-  (p.  358)  explains  the  terms  vjcJl  and  door. 
as  implyin;^  that  the  alliance  l)etween  Solomon  and  Pha- 
raoh's daugi;ter  v>o\ild  l)e  a  defence  to  Judca,  and  open  a. 
iiiore  familiar  inlercoiiise  betv/eeii'thut  country  and  Egypt ; 
and  I  v/ould  not  deny  but  these  ideas  mif^lit  l)e  expressed 
under  those  metaphors,  thoucjh  I  have  preferred  another 
illucidatiun. 

2   llzek.  xvi.  4t). 


(     347     > 

'  beginning/     '  calleth   the  things  that  are  not  as 

*  if  they  Vv'ere.'     So  he   hath  said,   '  Other  sheep 

*  have  I  which  are  not  of  this  fold,'  when  as  yet 
those  sheep  had  no  existence,  at  least  under  the 
chara6ler  of  sheep. 

The  situation  of  this  sister  church  is,  that  she 
was  little  and  immature.,  but  when  the  period  ar- 
rived  that  she  should  be  spoken  for  in  marriage, 
i.  e.  when  the  fulness  of  time  came  for  the  calling 
of  the  Gentiles,  then  was  she  to  be  provided  for 
in  a  manner  suitable  to  her  circumstances.  The 
Gentile  church  is  a  wall,  and  hath  been  adorned 
with  innumerable  turrets — turrets  of  silver.  It  is 
said  of  the  new  Jerusalem,  that  it  hath  twelve  foun- 
dations, bearing  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles 
of  the  Lamb  ;  and  the  like  may  be  said  of  these 
turrets  ;  they  bear  the  names  of  evangelists  and 
apostles  and  the  first  preachers  of  the  gospel ; 
the  watchmen  upon  the  walls  of  this  spiritual 
city. 

The  Gentile  church  may  be  considered  as  a 
door — an  open  door — a  door  open  night  and  day, 
admitting  on  every  side  inhabitants  to  the  celestial 
city.  Or  if  the  term  imply,  as  I  have  supposed, 
that  she  was  to  be  a  mother,  the  portico  of  cedar 
may  imply  that  she  was  to  be  the  mother  of  a  no-^ 
ble  or  royal  offspring,  and  to  have  an  establishment 
suitable  to  her  rank. 

But  how  will  any  of  these  remarks  apply  to  the 
case  of  individual  believers?  or  what  useful  les- 
sons or  observations  do  they  suggest  ? 


{     348     ) 

1.  The  Lord  bestows  whatever  he  requires. 
When  he  calls  the  Gentiles  to  be  a  cliurch,  he 
furnishes  them  with  all  the  requisite  gifts  and 
graces  ;  and  v.  hen  he  calls  a  sinner  by  his  grace, 
he  gives  him  grace  to  come.  The  same  voice  that 
says,  '  Arise  and  walk,'  gives  strength  and  ability 
to  obey. 

2.  Our  divine  Bencfaclor  suits  his  blessings  to 
our  circumstances.  The  v/all  he  cro\im§  with 
towers,  and  incloses  the  door  with  pannels.  To 
the  w  eak  he  gives  strength,  to  the  poor  wealth, 
and  to  the  deformed  beauty. 

3.  The  Lord's  blessings  are  worthy  of  himself. 
If  he  erects  turrets,  they  are  of  silver;  if  he  cases 
a  door,  it  is  with  boards  of  cedar.  But  O,  \that 
ir.etaphors  can  describe  the  dignity  and  excellence 
of  the  blessings  of  his  grace  ! 

But  we  must  consider  the  reply  of  the  Jewish 
church,  she  was  already  matured,  already  marri- 
ed :  she  was  '  a  wall,  and  her  breasts  like  tow- 
'  ers  :'  thence  was  she  acceptable  in  his  eyes,  as 
one  that  Endeth  pea.ce,  ?.  e.  perhaps,  as  a  peace- 
maker— as  one  that  nndeth  means  of  restoring 
peace  and  harmony,  in  the  close  of  a  long,  expen- 
sive, and  sanguinary  vcar. 

To  this  place  I  have  deferred  a  remark  or  two 
on  the  breasts  of  the  .church,  which  have  been  of- 
ten alluded  to  and  described  in  the  course  of  this 
poem, 

1.  The  truths  of  the  gospel  are  as  nourishing  to 
the  soul  as  mothers'  milk  to  their  infant  offspring. 


(     349     ) 

*  Therefore  as  new-born  babes  desire  the  sincere 

*  milk  of  the  word  that  ye  may  grow  thereby.' 

2.   The   consolations    of  God  are   neither  fe\T 
nor  small.     *  As  a  son  is  comforted  of  his  mother, 

*  30  shall  thy  God  comfort  thee.'  Behold  the 
helpless  babe !  what  can  support  him  like  the 
bosom  of  his  mother  ?  Look  at  him  aiilitled  with 
disease  !  What  can  comfort  liim  like  his  mother's 
milk  ?  And  so  kind,  so  tender,  so  comforting, 
so  nourishing,  are  the  consolations  of  the  gospel ! 
How  appropriate  to  every  case  of  human  iriisery  ! 
How  healing  and  consolatory  to  every  mortal 
woe ! 

Chap.  VIII.  Ver.  11— 14. 

Spouse,  (to  the  Virgin) 

Solomon  hath  a  vineyard  at  Baal-hamon  : 
He  hath  let  the  vineyard  to  k';;epers, 
Each  shall  brine;  for  the  fruit  thereof  a  thou» 
sand  silvcrlings. 

To  the  li  idegroom.         ' 

My  own  vineyard  is  before  me  ; 
A  thousand  to  thee  O  Solomon  \ 
And  two  hundred  to  the  keepers  of  its  fruits. 

Bridegroom.  O  thou  who  inhabitest  the  gardens, 
The  companions  listen  to  thy  voice, 
Cause  ine  to  hear  it  ! 

Spouse.  Haste  thee,  my  beloved, 

And  be  thou  like  an  antelope,  or  a  young  heart, 
Upon  the  craggy  mountains. 


I  can  trace  no  connexion  between  the  pre- 
ceding paragraph  and  this,  but  on  a  supposition 
that  the  former  has  some  reference  to  the  dowry 
!ef  the  bride's  sister,  as  above  hinted.     Then  there 


(     350     ) 

is  a  propriety  in  mentioning  the  dowry  of  tlic 
spouse,  namely,  the  city  of  Gezer,  Gaza,  or  Ga- 
zarn,  and  the  surrounding  country,  which  was 
well  situated  for  vineyards,  as  remarked  in  our 
preliminary  dissertations'.  For  though  the  dow- 
ries were  more  usually  given  by  the  husband,  it 
appears  in  certain  instances,  of  which  this  is  one, 
they  were  received  from  other  quarters. — This 
spot  she  compares  to  Baal-hamon^  where  Solomon 
had  a  vineyard  farmed  out  to  keepers'",  «i'<7t-/6  of 
Mhom,  it  should  seem,  paid  in  a  net  revenue  of  a 
thousand  silverlings. 

By  the  exin-cssion  '  my  own  vineyard  is  be- 
'  fore  me/    commentators  understand    that    the 

1  Pao;.  64. 

*  These  silvcrlinr^s,  or  pieces  of  silver,  are  supposed  to 
be  shekels,  value  about  2,v.  4d.  each.  Supposing  (as  tra- 
dition does)  the  vineyard  to  have  been  divided  aniont^-  ten 
farniers,  the  whole  annual  revenue  must  have  been  about 
1,200/.  stcrlinjy.  But  as  the  original  (U'^x)  is  equivocal,  it 
inay  be  nndered  either  d!strib\itively,  each,  ('  cjuisque,' 
PagninusJ  or  emphatically  '  the  man'  (LXX.  xrvp)  /.  c.  as 
the  editor  nf  Calnu;t  explains  it  '  the  tenant')  the  piincipal 
or  head  man.  '  1  have  preferred  the  tbrmer,  because  I  find 
it  v.as  coniiu.on  to  divide  these  grounds  into  plantations  of 
a  thousand  vines,  each  worth  a  thousand  silverlings  ;  (Is. 
\\i.  23.)  and  becVuse  I  conceive  one  of  these  v/ould  have 
been  too  iiicoasideraljie  for  a  iT)yal  vineyard. 

Tl'.e  situation  oj  Jlaal-hcr.non  is  very  doubtful  :  Mr.  IIar- 
MKR  places  it  at  Balbcc  ;  but  most  .commentators,  (1  believe 
v.itliouL  authority)  nettv  Jerusalem.  The  name  seems  to 
iroplv  an  heathen  origin,  and  some  are  confident  an 
l.iryptian  one;  thou!|;-li  others  think  it  simply  implies  the 
populousness  of  t!ie  .city — Baal-hamon  literally  meaning 
'  the  Lord  of  a  multitudt..' 


(     351     ) 

spouse  paid  a  personal  attention  to  her  vine-yard, 
(as  having  been  formerly  a  keeper  of  the  vine- 
yards')  and  delighted  in  residing  there,  which  the 
bridegroom  appears  to  allude  to,    when  he  calls 

*  her  an  inhabitant  of  the  gardens,'  and  express- 
es a  desire  for  her  constant  presence  :  this  desire 
is  re-echoed  by  the  chorus  in  the  person  of  the 
spouse,  and  concludes  the  poem. 

In  what  manner,  and  how  far,  this  part  of  the 
song  must  be  allegorized,  is  indeed  a  question 
of  some  difficulty. 

The  Jewish  doftors  say,  particularly  Matmo- 
y  IDES,  *  Wherever  you  meet  with  the  name  '■  So- 

*  lomotLin  the  book  of  Canticles,  it  is  holy^  *  [i.  e. 
'  belongs  to  the  Messiah]  except  in  that  place  '*  a 
"  thousand  to  thee,  O  Solomon  !"  which  is  the 
text  before  us.  Their  idea  seems  to  be,  that  a 
com.parison  is  here  intended  between  some  vine- 
yard literally  understood,  and  the  spiritual  vine- 
yard, the  church  of  God. — Bp.  Patrick  draws 
the  parallel  between  the  vineyard  of  Solomon  in 
Baal-hamon,  and  that  of  the  spouse,  to  ths  disad- 
vantage of  the  former  ;  as  if  she  had  said.  If  Solo- 
mon makes  so  great  a  profit  of  a  vineyard  which 
he  intrusts  to  keepers,  how  much  more  gain  shall 
I  reap  from  mine,  under  my  immediate  inspec- 
tion ? 

But  the  difficulty  is,  how  shall  these  vineyards 
be  distinguished  in  the  allegory  ?  Is  not  the  vine- 
yard of  the  church,   the  vineyard  also  of  the  Lord 

4 

i  See  chap.  1.  6. 


{     352     ) 

of  hosts  ?  To  rivcid  this,  Dr.  Gill,  who  admits 
tliem  to  he  the  same,  supposes  these  words,  *  My 

*  own  vineyard  is  before  lae,'  to  be  the  language 
of  the  mystic  Solomon  ;  though  he  is  obliged  to 
refer  the  latter  part  of  the  verse,.  '  Thou,  O  Solo- 

*  mon,  must  have  a  thousand'  to  the  spouse.  But 
this  division  appears  to  me  forced  and  unnatural, 
and  therefore  unjustifiable. 

If  we  must  consider  these  vineyards  as  distinct, 
we  must,  I  suppose,  wuth  some  of  the  old  divmes, 
explain  them  of  the  Jewish  and  Gentile  church- 
es ;  but  I  confess  I  see  no  necessity  for  this.  Pa- 
rables and  allegories  must  be  taken  up  only  in 
their  outlines  :  to  be  minute  is  to  be  ridiculous. 

*  The  vineyard  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  is  the  house 
of  Israel,'  and  this  may  be  considered  in  different 
points  of  view.  It  may  be  compared  to  Solo- 
mon's vineyard  in  Baal-hamon,  as  being  let  out 
to  keepers  ;  namely,  the  Jewish  princes,  magis- 
trates, and  prophets  :  but  w  hen  the  church  speaks 
of  herself  under  this  image,  she  promises  dili- 
gence and  watchfulness,  with  a  due  regard  and 
reward  to  the  attention  of  her  ministers. 

The  language  of  the  beloved  in  addressing  his 
spouse,  '  O  thou  who  inhabitest  the  gardens,' 
evidently  refers  to  her  taste,  repeatedly  hinted  at, 
for  rural  occupations  and  retirement,  on  which 
VvC  have  before  remarked  :  and  the  concluding 
verses,  ^which  are  nearly  a  repetition  of  the  chorus 
in  tlie  former  parts  of  the  Song,  express  an  ar- 
dent wish  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  objcds 


(     353     ) 

h&re  prefigured  in  the  incarnation  of  the  Son  of 
God.  The  only  idea  therefore  on  which  I  shall 
insist,  is  the  allegory  of  a  vineyard,  as  descrip- 
tive of  the  church,  which  is  beautifully  drawn  by 
the  prophet  Is Ai AH '  :  this  I  shall  quote  in  the 
elegant  version » of  Bp.  Lowth. 

*  Let  me  now  sing  a  song  to  my  beloved^ 

'  A  song  of  loves  concerning  his  vineyard. 

*  My  beloved  had  a  vineyard 
'  On  a  high  and  fruitful  hill. 

'  And  he  fenced  it   round,  and  lie  cleared   it  from  the 

stoneis, 
'  And  he  planted  it  with  the  vine  of  Sorek  ; 

*  And  he  built  a  tower  in  the  midst  of  it, 

*  And  he  hewed  out  also  a  lake  therein : 

'  And  he  expected,  that  it  should  bring  forth  grapes; 

*  But  it  brought  forth  poisonous  berries.* 

The  prophet  goes  on  to  amplify  the  allegor}^ 
by  shewing  what  pains  had  been  taken  with 
this  vineyard,  the  ill  returns  which  had  been 
made,  and  the  judgments  to  be  expe6led ;  and 
then  concludes  with  the  following  application  : 

'  Verily  the  vineyard  of  Jehovah,  God  of  hosts,  is  the 

house  of  Israel ; 
'  And  the  men  of  Judah  the  plant  of  his  delight.' 

As  a  comment  upon  this,  I  might  refer  to  the 
parable  of  the  labourers  in  the  vineyard*,  which 
is  too  long  for  transcribing  in  this  place,  and  too 
easy  to  need  explanation. 

I  would  therefore  finish  the  whole  with  an 
echo    to   the   concluding  chorus — '  Make  haste, 


1   Chap.  v.   I,c5'c.     See  also  chap,  xxvii.  2,  i:fc. 
8  Matt.  xxi.  33,  t^c. 

V  y 


(     354     ) 

*  my  beloved  ; '  which  in  the  first  instance  was  a 
W'ish  for  the  personal  a]5pearance  of  the  Messiah, 
and  the  introdu6lion  of  his  kingdom  ;  but  may 
now  be  adopted  with  equal  propriety,  in  reference 
to  his  second  coming,  when  he  shall  be  admired 
in  '  all  them  tKat  believe  ;'  to  this  event  it  is  our 
duty  and  privilege  to  look  forward  with  joyful  ex- 
pectation, and  to  adopt  the  language  of  the  great 
prophet  of  the  New  Testament,  and  say — '  Even 
'  so  ;  come,  Lord  Jesus  !   Amen.'* 


THE  END. 


I  nil  II I  III  miHH  mil  I  iiiiiiiiiii     n>iiii iiwii  i  nm      i  m  <wj  i 


Subscribers'  Names. 


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Allen  David 
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Bell  Jane 
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C 

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l> 

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